


I love him the killer.

by ahnice



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2018-12-22 00:24:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 43
Words: 109,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11955828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahnice/pseuds/ahnice
Summary: In this world exist only two kinds of people: the weak and the strong. It is the role of the weak to succumb to the strong. ‘Survival of the fittest’,  One must become strong in order to survive the harsh cruelties of this journey we humans call ‘life &Park Ji hoon has to choose.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!  
> back with new long fic called 'i love him the killer '. Ji Hoon and Daniel as the mains. The story is rated as there will be quite a bit of mature themes and violence. i portrayed jihoon as a dark & mysterious cool kind of guy instead of the usual cute & aegyeo..

**_chapter 1_ **

 

* * *

 

  
Kang Daniel crouched down beside the dead body examining the cold flesh, the skin having grown pale from the large amount of blood lost in such a short time. He curled his nose up in disgust as the stench of rotting flesh overwhelmed him. Unable to stand the horrible odour, he stood up, turning away from the scene. It was the fifth body he’d come to see within the space of a month, only one of the hundreds of murders that had been left unsolved over the past few years. They were all the same; sharp, clean cuts to the vital parts of the body with not a trace of the killer left behind. Daniel let out a sigh as he walked out of the alleyway. Ever since he’d taken on this case, he’d begun to feel that his skills were inferior. He was once known as the rising star of the police force, yet his career had hit a dead end when he took up the ‘apollyon’ case. The other detectives were quick to sympathize with him, for all the other officers who had taken up the case were either dead or in an early retirement. He didn’t think much of it at the time, but looking back on it now, he realized how naïve he had been.  
  
Jin Young was standing off to the side outside the alleyway, interviewing the witness who had found the body. The man was still in shock, his voice shaking as he recounted the morning’s events. Daniel made his way over just as Jin Young finished.  
  
“Thank you for your co-operation, Sir,” he said in a formal voice as he jotted down the last of her notes. Jin Young looked up at the man with a kind smile. “If you remember any more details, please do not hesitate to contact us.” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a card, handing it to the man. He took it somewhat reluctantly, nodding before he made his way off. Jin Young watched him walk away, a sad smile on his face.  
  
Daniel went to lean against their car, taking in large breaths of the fresh air to clear the stench of the dead body from his nose. Jin Young made his way to lean on the car next to him, letting out a tried sigh. Daniel glanced over in his direction, already guessing as to the reason for his sigh. “Nothing useful?”  
  
Jin Young shook his head. “Nope, nothing at all. He was just coming down the alleyway looking for stuff he could sell when he stumbled upon the dead body. That’s about it.” he let out another heavy sigh.  
  
Daniel smiled grimly. “Well, that’s to be expected with a ‘Apollyon’ victim. No trace of the ‘death god’ at all.”  
  
Jin Young rolled his eyes at daniel last comment. “Please, don’t be so pessimistic. The morale on this case is bad enough as it is. We don’t need our head detective giving up hope.” he stood up from the car, giving him a slight punch to the shoulder. “Where’s the energetic, motivated young upstart who solved three murder cases in three months, one of them involving a high profile politician?”  
  
Daniel couldn’t help but smile at his comment, feeling some of his old pride returning to him. It was true that he had achieved that and it was one of the reasons his superintendent had given him the ‘Apollyon’ case. Jin Young, noticing his small smile, grinned even wider. he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
“Come on, let’s get out of here. We’ll let the forensics team sweep the place for clues while we get a cup of coffee. It seriously is too early to come and look at dead bodies.” Jin Young feigned a yawn as he stretched his arms, walking over to the passenger side of their car. Daniel chuckled slightly at his antics as he shook his head. He could always rely on his partner to cheer him up. They had graduated from the academy together and ever since were always together as partners.  
  
Turning around to open his door, the smile on his face was wiped off as he saw the white body bag of the dead man being carried out of the alleyway. His eyes never left the bag, the image and stench of the dead body still fresh in his mind. Entering his seat behind the wheel, he gripped the steering wheel firmly, his eyes hard. Jin Young, noticing his mood, decided to remain silent.  
  
“I will find out who ‘Apollyon’ is,” he said with finality in his voice that revealed his determination in capturing the murderer. “I will.”

  
Apollyon was perhaps the most favored member of the Syndicate. The Syndicate’s leader,known as‘’Dawn’’ had never held back the rewards he lavished on his most prized servant. Many others wondered how one man could earn the respect and favor of the most powerful and influential person in Korea. lee Min Soo was a well-known man, for he dealt in all walks of life from his legitimate multibillion dollar corporation to the various illegal trades of the black market.  
  
Just outside of Korea, Dawn had built his home, which he humbly called his mansion yet it was something more of a palace. He had many live-in employees, one of them being his favored assassin, 'Apollyon'. he lived in his home under the name of Ji Hoon, as Min soo personal guards. Min Soo had given him a splendid room which looked over the fifty acre garden, all the way to the distant mountains. But Ji Hoon wasn’t impressed. he had never felt anything for the empty beauty he woke up to see each day after the night’s cruel work. And it wasn’t as if he wasn’t aware of all the rumours that were circulating the social circles of upper class society, either.  
  
Min soo wife had died years ago from a terminal illness, which was said to have sent the Syndicate leader into a year of depression. It was around that time Ji Hoon had happened across him and the older man had taken him into his care. People began whispering behind their backs then, but as time went on, the rumors became nastier and more abundant. Ji Hoon always turned a blind eye to such spiteful words; it didn’t mean anything to him. It wasn’t true so why should he care about the foul winds that emanated from their mouths?  
  
Ji Hoon was still deep asleep in his bed, his satin gold quilt twisted in a mess about his spread out form. he wasn’t a motionless sleeper, always twisting and turning in bed in the throes of the nightmares that plagued his dreams. No matter how hard one tried to cut their emotional ties, their conscience always catches up in the subliminal messages that are sent to us in the form of dreams. It was there that Ji Hoon was at his weakest, prey to his own unforgiving heart.  
  
A soft knock sounded at the door, too quiet for Ji Hoon to hear. His nightmare had been long over and he lay perfectly still on his bed, a small crease on his brow. Few ever dared to knock on the fiery guard’s door, as once he had sent a maid packing after throwing a vase at the poor girl for entering his room without permission.  
  
Getting no response from the occupant of the room, the elderly maid decided to enter it on her own. She walked into the room, throwing the curtains wide open to let the late morning sunshine in. This still did nothing to stir Ji Hoon out of his deep sleep. The maid peered over at Ji Hoon desk, a small motherly smile spreading on her face as she noted the mess of paper sprawled around the place. She turned back to Ji Hoon, shaking her head before giving him a firm slap on the back.  
  
“Working all night again, Ji Hoon shhi?” she teased, earning a tired glare from Ji Hoon.  
  
“It’s you,sunmi” growled Ji Hoon before burying his face back into his pillow. “It’s still too early,” he muttered, his voice muffled by the pillow.  
  
“Nonsense, Ji Hoon! It is almost ten thirty in the morning!” exclaimed the maid as she began shaking Ji Hoon.  
  
Ji Hoon ignored her for a few minutes before succumbing to the older lady’s persistence. “Fine! I’ll get up now.” Ji Hoon sat up in bed, sending an annoyed glance at her before storming off towards the bathroom with a yawn. sunmi was the only person in the house Ji Hoon would allow to act with him in that manner. Since he came to live at the Dawn mansion, sunmi had been the only one to put up with Ji Hoon temper, eventually earning the young dude respect. However, Ji Hoon still kept up the pretence that he didn’t favour sunmi one bit.  
  
sunmi began with her standard chores of fixing Ji Hoon bed, along with selecting a suitable outfit for the day. She never went near Ji Hoon desk, for it was off limits, even to someone he somewhat trusted like sunmi. The shelves nearby were also forbidden, and the old maid had often wondered why. There never seemed to be anything on the shelf that sunmi would have thought Ji Hoon wouldn’t want anyone touching. It was understandable why the desk was off limits, but the shelves? All that occupied the shelves were numerous books and sculptures.  
  
Ji Hoon now returned from the bathroom, wearing a robe as he threw his shirts into a basket. he made his way over to the bed, hand drying his hair with a towel as he looked over the outfit sunmi had chosen for today. Satisfied, he headed towards his dresser where he began fixing his hair.  
  
“Master lee has left the message that you are to see him at his office in apgujeong-do. He also said that you could take your time, seeing as you would have been up all night working,” said the maid from behind Ji Hoon.  
  
Ji Hoon smiled somewhat bitterly as he began fixing his hair. ‘Of course he knew I would have a late night.’  
  
Looking at sunmi reflection in the mirror, Ji Hoon said, “Send him the message that I will be arriving soon.” sunmi bowed and left the room.  
  
After sunmi left, Ji Hoon stopped fixing his hair as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Sometimes he wondered how his life would have turned out if he had never stumbled across Dawn that fateful night ten years ago. His hand went to his face as achieved by years of living in luxury had lavished on him. he was nothing more than an obedient pet to him. as he threw the hairspray at the mirror, causing the polished glass to crack. His reflection stared back at his fractured, just as was his nature. Ji Hoon had never wanted to be a killer. he didn’t want this pampered, two-sided life. If only her mother had never married that man…  
  
Ji Hoon shook himself away from that train of thought. It was no use remembering the past, longing for what could not be. Min soo was waiting for him. he cleared his mind as he went to get dressed. Once he was satisfied with the way he looked,Ji Hoon picked up his bag and his file, making his way outside. As he reached the main hallway, he passed a lone servant who was busy polishing the floor. Ji Hoon came to a stop beside the girl and he saw her visibly stiffen. he smiled in a cold, off-handed way, glancing away from the servant.  
  
“I need a new mirror in my room. Make sure it’s there by the time I get back.” Ji Hoon then left the servant to quiver on the spot, thanking the gods that she was still alive.

 

**tbc.**


	2. Chapter 2

**\- Ten Years Ago -**

 

* * *

 

Ten year old Ji Hoon stood at the foot of the stairs to his apartment, debating over whether it was safe to enter yet. It was nearly midnight and his stepfather should have passed out already after his daily drinking routine. His mother would not be back until the early hours of the morning as she was away working as a bar girl . Ji Hoon was reluctant to make his way up for fear that the monster would be awake, at which Ji Hoon would become his means of relieving his frustrations. Why his mother ever married the bastard, Ji Hoon would never understand. He never did anything around the house and was in fact more of an inconvenience than anything else.  
  
But he wasn’t exactly horrible in that first year after he had moved in. Ji Hoon’s father had left his mother when he was three and for two years the pair struggled with life before his mother finally found a job as a bar girl. Not long after that, the five year old Ji Hoon was introduced to his future stepfather, and he took to the young boy with a kindness that anyone would shower on an adorable child. However, no more than a year later his life took a turn for the worse. The company he had been working at went broke and hundreds of people lost their jobs, including him. As he went to one job interview after another, Ji Hoon stepfather could still not find a job and he soon turned to the comfort of alcohol. His mother became annoyed at this sudden development and at one stage had revealed her thoughts to him, only to be returned with a beating as he blamed her for all his misfortunes. From then onwards, Ji Hoon mother never dared to raise her voice against him again, deferring to his every whim for fear that he would not only hurt her but also Ji Hoon too. Little did she know that as every night she left for work, her husband never hesitated to do just that.  
  
Ji Hoon had finally made up his mind. he didn’t want to stay out here in the cold anymore and he was beginning to get tired. Quietly, Ji Hoon made his way up the stairs and entered his apartment; the door creaking slightly as he cautiously opened it. Stale air that reeked of alcohol and cigarettes rushed out at him as it opened, but Ji Hoon was prepared for it. After six years of putting up with the man, Ji Hoon had become accustomed to the way his home smelt. It was something he despised greatly yet put up with for the sake of her mother.  
  
Bottles and half-empty plates lay strewn all over the floor and Ji Hoon had to tread carefully in order to avoid stepping on them. he closed the door softly behind him and began his treacherous journey across the floor towards his room. As he reached the halfway point, Ji Hoon noticed his stepfather lying beneath the table, his head resting on the seat of one of the chairs as saliva dripped from his mouth down to the floor. he crinkled his nose in disgust at the pathetic image, shaking his head as he continued across. Just as he reached out for the handle of his door, an unforeseen glass bottle stood nearby, rattling loudly as he accidentally kicked it. Ji Hoon then froze on the spot, fearing that he had woken the beast.  
  
A loud thump was heard and his stepfather groaned, rubbing his head as he peered into the darkness, somewhat disoriented. He had hit his head on the edge of the table and he shoved it in anger.  
  
“Stupid table… what the hell is it doing here?” he growled at the inanimate object. Turning around, he noticed Ji Hoon standing by his door, staring at him. Their eyes met, and Ji Hoon widened in terror as he hurriedly turned around to open the door. He almost had his door closed when his stepfather reached him, shoving his weight into the door to keep it open.  
  
“Where are you going, little Ji Hoon? You’re back late again.” He peered down at him menacingly, slightly swaying on the spot, his pupils dilated. “You know, I haven’t been seeing you around much lately. Where do you run off to, little Ji Hoon?” He reached out a hand and gripped him painfully by the wrist.  
  
Ji Hoon hands went to the hand that was holding his wrist, furiously trying to pry his fingers apart to no avail. “Let go of me!” he begged as tears started to fall from the pain.  
  
His stepfather laughed. He crouched down to his eye level, jeering at him. “What’s this? You’re crying? Aww… poor little Ji Hoon. Can’t handle a little rough play from his daddy.” He suddenly shoved him away, glaring at him in dislike. Ji Hoon glared back up at him icily, his eyes revealing all the hatred mingled with the fear he felt towards the man.  
  
“You’re not my daddy,” said Ji Hoon through gritted teeth. His stepfather’s eyes narrowed down to slits as he took a menacing step forward.  
  
“What did you say?” he asked, daring Ji Hoon to repeat herself.  
  
Ji Hoon remained silent. he realised he should have not provoked him like that. He crouched down before him again, his strong hands gripping his arms in a vice-like grip.  
  
“I asked you, ‘What did you say?’” he repeated. Still, Ji Hoon remained silent, averting his eyes.  
  
Getting frustrated by his silence, Ji Hoon stepfather gave a hard slap to his face. “Why don’t you talk, damn it?” he shouted at him, slapping him several more times.  
  
Ji Hoon endured his abuse, refusing to say anymore that would provoke him to do even more. When Ji Hoon finally lay motionless on the ground and his stepfather was panting from the lack of breath from his exercise, he stood up, giving him a little shove with his foot. “Stupid kid… you’re no fun tonight.” He suddenly gave a large yawn and began stumbling his way out of the room. “I wouldn’t even live in this stupid dump if it wasn’t for your stupid mother’s money. You guys have to repay me for the curse you put on me…” He continued to mumble before he went to collapse on the sofa outside, his slurred voice drifting in to remind Ji Hoon to stay quiet next time.  
  
It was sometime before Ji Hoon was able to move, not only because of the pain he felt but because he wanted to wait until his stepfather was fast asleep. Slowly, he propped himself up, wincing slightly from the bruises he had left on him. he made his way over to his door, clicking it softly closed as he bolted it shut. he was safe for now. Limping over to his bed, Ji Hoon lay down softly, mindful of his bruises. he raised a hand to his lip, feeling the sticky blood that was beginning to dry. Fury now engulfed his soul. Ji Hoon despised the man; hated him; loathed his very being. he could find no more adjectives to describe the immense hatred he felt towards the man that wasn’t even human. Now he had more bruises to cover up for school the next day, and he would probably receive more strange glances from his classmates.  
  
Ji Hoon turned to glance at the crescent moon that was shining brightly outside his window as he let out a sigh. The soft, white glow of the satellite helped to sooth his raging mind as a deep sadness took him over. School was another place he despised going to. All the other kids were always laughing and smiling, fighting over simple things such as who won in a game of ‘card game’. It annoyed him to no end to see the other children like that, unable to be like them himself. He was sure none of them ever had a nightmare like his to return to every night. Ji Hoon thus ended up being a recluse and even the teachers had begun to worry, but they never said a word, afraid to act.  
  
He reached out and pulled the blinds shut, blocking out the brilliance of the moon. It really was late and Ji Hoon wanted to at least get some sleep tonight.

* * *

  
  
Ji Hoon was located at a local playground, hiding high up in a tree as he watched the other children play. When he saw them noticing his stares he would hurriedly busy himself with his homework, which he also used this time to do. The kids were somewhat unnerved by his stares but they ignored him, having become accustomed to it for more than two years. This was the place Ji Hoon had chosen to hideout until late, giving him a little peace of mind from the busy and cruel world around him. But every now and then, snippets of the other children’s conversations drifted up to his ears.  
  
“Sometimes I wonder about him ,” said one of the boys as he leant against the rails at the top of the slide. “he always sits in that tree, staring. It’s kinda creepy.”  
  
“Shhh… ! Don’t talk about him so loudly or he might bite your head off!” said another girl who was getting ready to go down the slide.  
  
The boy  turned around to face the girl. “But don’t you think it’s strange,? There’s never been a day when he isn’t up in that tree, even when it’s raining!”  
  
“Just ignore him, he probably practices witchcraft or something and that’s why he’s in that tree.” the girl finally went down the slide, leaving the lttle boy alone to glance once more at Ji Hoon before he followed.  
  
Ji Hoon couldn’t help but let a small, crooked smile spread across his face. “Practice witchcraft, huh? I sure wish I did,” he muttered sarcastically as he continued with his fractions.

* * *

  
  
It was two in the morning before Ji Hoon watch beeped, waking him. He was still in that tree, his jacket pulled tightly over his front as he had drifted off to sleep. After the last incident, Ji Hoon had decided to return home even later to make sure he didn’t meet with the same event again. Picking up his bag, Ji Hoon put his jacket back on before he expertly climbed down his tree.  
  
His feet connected with the firm ground and he slowly made his way off, taking his time to breathe in the crisp cool night air. The sound of his feet gently tapping the surface of the road echoed in the silent street. Several dogs were barking in the distance, their rough voices mingled with the gentle meowing of cats. The incessant buzz of the fluorescent lights above added to the emptiness of the night, casting long shadows in place of the moon which was invisible tonight. It was during this time when Ji Hoon felt most at peace, wishing that he could just melt away into the emptiness. But he knew that it would never be. He had to endure that man for just a while longer, until he was finally old enough to work and kick him out of their lives forever. It was this one small dream which motivated Ji Hoon to continue living, for without his mother, Ji Hoon life would mean nothing.  
  
Turning the corner, Ji Hoon dreaded apartment loomed before him, the staircase leading up to his room appearing as if it were a gateway to hell. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself, concentrating all his energy for his journey up. The other night, Ji Hoon hadn’t been concentrating enough and he believed that this was the reason why he had ended up kicking the bottle. But since that night, he hadn’t had a repeat of the mistake and he wasn’t going to repeat the mistake tonight either.  
  
The handle of his door clicked softly as he slowly turned it, pushing it open gently with a small creak. He stepped into the room silently, closing the door as quietly as possible. Ji Hoon peered into the darkness, trying to discern his stepfather’s form among the mass of dark shapes in the room. He spotted something rising and falling gently on the sofa, which he assumed was him. Treading lightly, Ji Hoon carefully threaded his way through the minefield of rubbish and bottles. His earlier sleep had paid off and he was wide awake, alert to his surroundings. But perhaps he wasn’t alert enough.  
  
When he reached his bedroom door, two strong arms suddenly came around him, locking his body in a tight bear hug. Ji Hoon struggled against his captor, kicking the air as he was easily lifted up. His captor carried him back over towards the sofa, dumping him unceremoniously onto it. Ji Hoon looked up, his eyes widening in fright as he saw his stepfather leering down at him, a sadistic smile on his despicable face. But what sent even more shivers down Ji Hoons spine was that he did not even appear to be the least bit drunk.  
  
“Well, well… look what the cat brought in. A little birdie trying to fly quietly past the tiger’s mouth.” He came in closer, placing his arms on either side of Ji Hoon, pinning him to the sofa. “I’ve been talking to some friends and they’ve made some interesting suggestions about you.”  
  
He suddenly moved a hand to stroke Ji Hoon cheek, his touch making his skin crawl as he flinched away. His stepfather noticed the slight movement and smiled cruelly.  
  
“I have been quite stupid for awhile, it seems. They were saying, ‘Ah, what an idiot you are being,! You have a nice, fresh piece of meat waiting at your house every night and you never realised that you could taste it?’” He laughed. “They are right. You are nearly thirteen…and a virgin. And now that I look more closely, a handsome one too.”  
  
He began to stroke his face again, Ji Hoon trying his best to move away from his touch. he didn’t understand what he was talking about. What did he mean by referring to him as a piece of meat?  
  
his stepfather gripped his chin tightly, snapping Ji Hoon face to look at him. “Your mother won’t be back for at least another two hours. In the meantime, let’s have some fun.”  
  
Gripping his arms tightly, Ji Hoon stepfather pulled him off the couch and forcibly dragged him towards his room. As they reached the door, he could no longer control his lust and his lips came down to meet his, frightening Ji Hoon out of his soul. this is not the way he wants to lose his virgin Realising now that he was really going to do him more harm than beating Ji Hoon, he began to struggle wildly. His knee suddenly connected with his groin, causing him to cry out loud in pain. Seeing the chance for escape, Ji Hoon hurriedly dashed away, heading towards the exit. Just as he reached the door he felt his dreaded grip on his arm once more as he was pulled away from salvation.  
  
“You stupid bastard!” he shouted as he slapped him hard across the face. He gave him several more slaps to try and silence him. “Stay still and you won’t get hurt!” He came down on Ji Hoon in full force, biting his lip hard so that he would open his mouth. Ji Hoon felt his father forcefully began unbuttoning his school uniform, Ji Hoon knew he wasn’t going to give up without a fight.  
  
His stepfather screamed again, as Ji Hoon tried to struggle and kicking around, His hands then came around his neck, squeezing hard as he began to choke him. Ji Hoon, no longer able to breathe properly, collapses to the ground. His stepfather kneeled up and began slapping him until he remained motionless.  
  
“Didn’t… I tell you… to remain… still?” he huffed as he stopped slapping Ji Hoon. Seeing him lie there unmoving,  
  
Ji Hoon felt dazed after his stepfather’s beating. He barely registered what his dirty hands were doing to him as he felt him on his neck. He was kissing and biting him hard, making him wince in pain. He was utterly terrified of the man but he still had some fight left in him. Peering around him, Ji Hoon noticed a bottle lying on its side nearby. He reached out a hand to grab it, his hands clasped firmly around its neck. Looking back down at where his stepfather’s head was now located around his chest, he took aim, crashing the glass bottle into his head with all the force he could muster. Shards of glass scattered everywhere and Ji Hoon saw blood begin to flow from the wound on his head. He looked up at Ji Hoon, pure anger now clouding his eyes.  
  
“Why, you little-” Ji Hoon stepfather never got to finish his sentence. The other half of the bottle Ji Hoon still had in his hands was now planted in his neck, the blood from his severed sorta spurting out like a broken pipe at high pressure. The bright red blood sprayed all over Ji Hoon face as he stared, shocked, into his stepfather’s lifeless eyes.  
  
Ji Hoon just killed his stepfather....

* * *

  
**tbc.**


	3. Chapter 3

**-Present Day -**

* * *

  
The DAWN Finance Corporation located in seoul was an impressive building, located in the midst of korea leading finance centre. Ji Hoon calmly made his way up to the top floor amongst a midst of fellow Syndicate members. The Finance office was one of MinSoo’s favourite meeting places for the Syndicate, for the whole building belonged to him. His other offices were shared with other companies, office space being very hard to find these days. Another reason he loved using the Finance office as the meeting place was that the board room in which the meetings were held sported a magnificent view of City Hall.  
  
Ji Hoon strolled into the board room, taking his usual seat behind the head of the table where MinSoo would be seated. The room was rather large, a long table bent in an oval arc spreading the length of the room facing a large screen which was used for video conferences. The walls of the room were all glass, frosted so that the occupants within were invisible. Several other members of the Syndicate were already seated within and it wasn’t long before all the seats were filled, save for the single spot at the head of the table.  
  
They didn’t have long to wait before MinSoo came to join them all. The members all stood, returning to their seats as their leader sat down. He gave the members of the Syndicate a cool glance, noting the individual faces within the room. They were all high ranking members of the Syndicate, a group of select individuals with whom he trusted to handle the darker side of his business.  
  
The meeting began with the members discussing the status of their various businesses, from the latest shipment of prostitutes to the smuggling of illegal drugs and weapons. Each member responsible for each part would stand as they gave their report, discussing any problems they were encountering. Ji Hoon recorded points of interest down on his file, which would appear to an outsider to be incomprehensible.  
  
“I hear the leader of the Group,  Yoon Seo woon recently passed away. I must express my sympathies. Any news on who the new leader is?” he asked no one in particular after a heated debate on whether  they should change their cocaine suppliers.  
  
One of the younger men, a tall man with his red hair tied back in a pony tail stood, bowing in respect at MinSoo. “The Yoon Group is being rather secretive about the new leader, instead referring to him as the ‘Dragon’. From what little information we could gather, he is someone to keep an eye on.”  
  
MinSoo was staring at his hands, the fingertips of which were resting together just in front his face as he lay back in his chair. “How do you suppose we keep an eye on him if we do not know who he is?” he asked; his voice calm and cool with a dangerous note to it.  
  
The young man looked down at his feet, his Adams apple bobbing as he swallowed. “Er… we do know that he is a relative of Yoon Seo Woon. I currently have my men out trying to glean more information from the streets.”  
  
“A ‘relative’, you say?” MinSoo continued to stare at his hands as he seemed to drift off into thought. Suddenly, he sat up straight. “You’re lucky to have found out even that much if I think I know who this ‘Dragon’ is.” He began to smile crookedly as he turned away. “That Seo woon likes to play his games.”  
  
Ji Hoon sat quietly behind MinSoo as he continued to keep record of the meeting. he avoided looking at the other member ,he could feel their contempt at his presence in this room but they were powerless to say or do anything about it. Ji Hoon wondered who MinSoo thought the new leader of the Yoon Group was. No one had ever heard of Yoon Seo Woon ever having any relatives and it was really strange that one should emerge so suddenly.  
  
MinSoo turned back to the meeting. “How are the Yoon Group’s relations with? I presume they are still ‘close’ with one another?”  
  
This time, an older man in a black suit and grey streaked hair stood, bowing. “There has been no formal announcement of their standing with one another and we believe the two are yet to meet. Seong Woo and I believe that the relationship will still stand.”  
  
MinSoo nodded slowly, taking the information in. Suddenly, another man with dyed brown hair cut short to ear level and flicking out, stood. He bowed before speaking. “May I speak, Master MinSoo?”  
  
“You may,Ong Seongwoo,” replied MinSoo with a wave of his hand.  
  
“My sources have told me that the ‘Dragon’ has begun to make advances towards Hotaru Kenji, about a possible formal alliance. Word on the street is the Dragon wants to challenge the Syndicate.”  
  
Everyone in the room could feel the intensity of the suppressed rage MinSoo was keeping in check by sheer force of will. He suddenly smiled, making him look deadly. “If he wants a challenge, then we’ll be ready for him.” He spun around in his chair to address Ji Hoon. “Make an appointment for a visit to gangnam do. Pick a nice tea house and invite the leader out for tea.”  
  
Ji Hoon nodded as he made the note. MinSoo turned back around to see that Seongwoo had still not yet returned to his seat. “Is there anything else?”  
  
“I have also been receiving some disturbing reports about fights erupting in gangnam- do. Apparently, our members are being attacked by unmarked men. So far we have had no casualties, but it is only a matter of time.”  
  
“And who do you suspect are behind these attacks?” asked MinSoo, appearing to be casual yet the others knew that he was outraged. “Who would dare to attack us within our own territory?”  
  
Seongwoo bowed his head. “I suspect that it is once again the work of the Dragon.”  
  
MinSoo’s fist curled on the armrest of his chair. “This ‘Dragon’ is starting to get to be somewhat of an annoying character. Perhaps I should act on my suspicions…” He didn’t continue with the rest of his sentence, instead changing the topic. “Ji Hoon; I believe ' **Apollyon** ' completed his task as ordered?”  
  
Ji Hoon stood, bowing his head towards MinSoo. “Yes, Master MinSoo. The traitor was found dead at seven o’clock this morning, with the police arriving an hour later. The police already suspect that it is the work of Apollyon.”  
  
MinSoo nodded, satisfied. “That will make anyone think twice before they decide to betray the Syndicate. Betray the Syndicate and 'Apollyon' will be the last thing you see.”  
  
The atmosphere in the room grew awkward, acknowledging the subtle threat in MinSoo’s declaration. Ji Hoon bowed deeply before returning to his seat. he felt their eyes on him, knowing full well that they knew he was 'Apollyon'. It troubled Ji Hoon somewhat that he had threatened his senior members like that, for it brought unwanted attention to his. MinSoo noticed the glances and smiled coldly.  
  
“Ong Seong Woo; it is your assignment to capture those troublemakers in Gangnam do. Jin and Nathan; your assignment is to keep an eye on Dragon and see whether he meets up with the Dragon. The rest continue with your usual assignments.” MinSoo stood and the rest of the Syndicate followed suit, saluting their leader. He walked out of the board room, Ji Hoon following obediently out behind him.  
  
Ji Hoon matched MinSoo’s brisk pace towards his office, which was located not far from the board room. They entered the spacious room, Ji Hoon still following him as his desk was located inside. Another secretary was posted out the front and she bowed to them as they passed. She was responsible for MinSoo’s general matters to do with the office. A large white leather sofa stood in a corner facing an LCD television fixed to the wall. Shelves of files and books adorned the othis wall and towards the back right-hand corner of the room was MinSoo’s glass desk. Ji Hoon’s desk was located near the doorway.  
  
MinSoo went to sit at his desk, pulling out one of the files he had to look at. Ji Hoon stood nearby, waiting for him to speak.  
  
“I suppose you are wondering who I suspect this ‘Dragon’ is.” He continued reading the document, turning the pages calmly. “Yoon Seowoon has never really liked me, and I too harbour similar feelings. Not many know this, but I happened to stumble across one of his secrets.  
  
“You see, everyone knew Seowoon could never have children as he was… how to say it, castrated in an unfortunate accident when he was young.” A small smirk emerged on MinSoo’s face. “You know the story, Ji Hoon. However, no one ever knew that he had a son.”  
  
Ji Hoon’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Seo Woon has a son?”  
  
MinSoo looked up from his file, a proud smile on his face. “Yes. His name is Yoon Ji Sung, and he has a particularly good relationship with Lee Dae Hwi, the son of one of the leading candidates for the coming presidential election. He is also the current CEO of Lee Distributors.”  
  
The look of surprise on Ji Hoon’s face made MinSoo laugh. “It is not often that I get to see you express some emotion, Ji Hoon ah,” he said, somewhat affectionately.  
  
Ji Hoon immediately returned to his usual stoic self. “May I ask how you came about this information, Master MinSoo?”  
  
Again, MinSoo chuckled. “It was pretty much by accident. The young boy threw a stone at me one day, getting me right here.” He pointed to a faint scar on his left temple. “He had quite an arm, that boy. I was about to pull out my gun on him when Seo Woon came to stop me. He was in quite a rage too, but nevertheless, he apologized profusely. The boy then slipped, calling Seo Woon‘Father’. I’ve never seen Seo Woon face more paler than that.”  
  
He then leaned back in his chair, a look of nostalgia on his face. “Those were interesting times... Speaking of which,” he said as he looked back at Ji Hoon. His face suddenly turned soft. “How are the preparations for my son’s welcome home party next weekend? I trust they are coming along nicely?”  
  
Ji Hoon nodded, smiling a mechanical smile. “The preparations are coming along fine. The booking for the Phoenix Ballroom at The Grand Hyatt Hotel has been confirmed and the guest list is sent out. A three course meal has been selected and the interior decorations are yet to be decided upon. I shall be meeting with the interior designer tomorrow afternoon.”  
  
MinSoo nodded as he returned to his documents, seemingly in a lighter mood. “It must be close to eight years since I last saw my son. I wonder how he has changed.”  
  
Ji Hoon remained silent, bowing his head. he turned to walk back to his desk when MinSoo suddenly spoke. “This morning’s incident with the mirror… I believe it was an accident?”  
  
The tone he had used seemed to convey his displeasure at his actions. he turned around, bowing his head in apology. “It was intentional, Master MinSoo,” he replied, his voice devoid of any emotion.  
  
“May I ask what could have caused it?” he asked, still in that same tone.  
  
“I was upset at my lack of discipline.” Ji Hoon hoped he wouldn’t press for more details, but he knew that he would.  
  
“‘Lack of discipline’?” He looked up at Ji Hoon, tapping the pen against his chin. “How is it that you lack discipline when I have had you trained to be a ruthless assassin? Have I failed somewhere?”  
  
Ji Hoon closed his eyes. “Master MinSoo is not at fault; it is me. I still cannot control my emotions. I became frustrated and lost my temper.”  
  
MinSoo nodded, as if he understood. “Perhaps you have overworked this month.” He sat up straight in his chair. “I shall give you a week’s leave after the party. Use that time to improve your discipline.”  
  
“Master MinSoo is too kind,” replied Ji Hoon with a bow. “But I believe that it is not appropriate.”  
  
MinSoo waved off his refusal. “No need to be polite. You will not be going alone. Pick someone to go with you.”  
  
Ji Hoon bowed once more. “Very well. As Master MinSoo wishes.”

* * *

  
**tbc.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I get the feeling some of you guys will be wondering what in the world is going on with all these gangs. For the purposes of this story, I have created few "company"...
> 
> Name: The Syndicate  
> Leader: DAWN MinSoo  
> Districts: cheongdam -do,seoul,gangnam-do
> 
> Name: The Kims Group  
> Leader: Kim minjun - Kim myungsoo son  
> Districts: gangnam-do,seoul
> 
>  
> 
> It took me ages to figure all of this out. The names are probably lame i couldn't come out with any names other than wanna oneso i randomly jabble up them...
> 
> Ah... that's a long footnote. Hope this won't turn many off my story.


	4. Chapter 4

chapter 5

* * *

  
Ji Sung swung his golf club in a perfect arc, the head of the club connecting perfectly with the ball to propel it far into the driving range. He saw the ball land just beyond the 200 yard mark.

“Ah… what a shame; you fell short of my ball by about 30 yards,” said Daehwi as he vainly shook his head with a smile. He pressed his club to a small lever at the base of the golf ball dispenser. A small robotic arm swiveled out to place a golf ball on the tee.

“Let’s see if you can maintain your winning streak, Daehwi,” teased Ji Sung playfully at his friend. Daehwi grinned back as he swung at the ball.

The ball sailed through the air, landing only a few yards behind Ji Sung.

“Hah! That proves your last ball was a fluke!” shouted Ji Sung in triumph.

“Shut up,” snapped Daehwi. He went back to sit in his chair, sipping from his iced fruit drink. Ji Sung came to join him.

“Aww… don’t be such a sore loser, Daehwi. You know it doesn’t go well with the guys,” teased Ji Sung.

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up?” He turned away, disgruntled. “If it was the basketball courts, then it would be a different matter altogether.”

Ji Sung rolled his eyes at Daehwi. “Yes, yes, we all know that you’re an ex-national team veteran. Speaking of which; how’s your father doing by the way?”

It was Daehwi father who had forced Daehwi to quit the national team, several years ago. He still never forgave his father for that but had since resigned to his fate in politics. “He’s never been better. The polls are leaning in his favour. Many are already referring to him as President . It annoys me to no end that they’re doing that.”

Ji Sung nodded as he absorbed the information. “That’s good to hear.” He seemed to be lost in thought before Daehwi snapped his fingers before him.

“What are you spacing out for, Ji Sung?” he asked with a grin. “Is something wrong with your company? Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen you until today. What have you been up to?”

Ji Sung smiled back at his friend. “Just some family business I had to take care of.”

“Family business? I thought you had no family left after your mother passed away two years ago.”

“It turns out I do,” said Ji Sung solemnly. “But it’s nothing important. The company’s doing fine as well, but I’ve had to run around a little lately.”

Daehwi nodded. “I see.” He suddenly stood up, picking up his golf club and returning to his tee. “Hey, Ji Sung; whoever is the first to reach 300 yards will get to request anything of the loser. Deal?”

A big grin spread on Ji Sung face as he stood, moving to his spot. “Bring it on, bro’.”

-

Ji Young was still resisting the pull of his sister as he was being dragged towards the driving range.

“I really don’t want to play golf. Just let me go home already!” he complained as finally managed to drag him to the entrance.

“I’m not going to let my oppa shrivel up at home as he pours over some boring case. You need to come and socialise once in a while, oppa,” said his sister with a sweet smile.

The smile on his younger sister’s face sent shivers down his spine. Ji Young stood up straighter, a stern, disapproving look now on his face. “As your Oppa I command you to let me return home.”

The sister rolled her eyes. “Please, I’m not five years old anymore. That kind of threat won’t make me release you.”

“Then you leave me no choice.” Ji Young suddenly twisted his right arm out and around, stepping behind his sister to lock the arm around her neck, keeping a firm hold on the opposite shoulder.

She stomped on her brother foot, causing Ji Young to immediately release her. “Ow! What was that for?” exclaimed Ji Young as he hopped on one foot.

“For being stupid. You don’t need flashy moves to get someone off you.” she grabbed Ji Young wrist once more and began to drag him inside. “Now behave and enjoy your time here, oppa.”

Ji Young grudgingly abided and was soon led to his sister’s group of friends who were there to play with them. She then introduced his oppa to them.and although they tried to hide it, Ji Young still noticed the mocking glances they were giving him. Sure, he wasn’t a very fashionable not dress for golfing; in fact. Ji Young was dressed in a pair of faded sweatpants and a loose, plain t-shirt.

She then handed Ji Young the golf club. “Here, since you’re our special guest, we’ll let you hit first.” She smiled optimistically at her opppa brother.

“I don’t think this is a good idea…” began Ji Young but he was then shoved up to the tee with the club awkwardly in his hands. She showed him how to hold the club, and where to tap to make the ball come out.

When he thought that her brother was ready to try, She stood back with an encouraging smile. Ji Young took in a deep breath as he placed the club before the ball, taking aim. he drew back the club, swinging at the ball with full force. The ball toppled off the tee, rolling only a few centimetres away.

The other guys had trouble trying to hold back their laughter. Ji Young could hear them snickering as he picked up the ball and put it back on the tee.

“Are you sure he can do this,?” asked one of them.

“Shhh! You weren’t any better when you first started, ,” retorted his sister in defense of her brother.

Ji Young silently thanked his sister for the retort. He took aim again, and this time the club connected with the ball, sending it to land about 40 yards away. Ji Young smiled in triumph, despite himself.

She clapped loudly as she came to pat her brother on the shoulder. “Well done, Now that wasn’t too hard, was it? Come on guys, let’s get started.”

They all took up their clubs and went to stand in their sections. Ji Young watched as they hit their balls, landing at around the 180 yard mark. He was impressed by how far they were able to hit the balls, and it only fuelled his determination to match them. Ji Young found that whacking the balls helped to relieve his stress over the 'Apollyon' case, which had begun to get on his nerves. As he was nearing the end of his basket of golf balls, Ji Young was able to match the other guys, even reaching the 200 yard mark. They all stared at him in awe when that happened, and a new kind of respect for him began to form in their eyes.

Ji Young was the first to retire, collapsing in his chair at their table. The others soon followed, coming to sit with smiles on their faces.

“You sure did improve fast, Ji Young” said her sister friend , smiling brightly.

“Yeah, I’ve never seen anyone learn that fast,” said one of the other guys.

Ji Young laughed. “Ah, they used to call me the ‘lightning learner’ back in the Police Academy. I was always the first to pick up everything.”

Their eyes suddenly grew wide. “The Police Academy? Does that mean that you’re a cop?”

Ji Young eyed his sister out of the corner of his eye before he continued. “Yeah, I am.”

An excited look then lit their faces. “Whoa! That is so cool! How come you never told us, questioning the sister?”

She just shrugged as she avoided his brother gaze. “I didn’t think it was that important.”

“But it is!” they all shouted in unison. Ji Young was still eyeing his sister. He knew why she never mentioned her brother profession to her friends. It was because deep down she never approved of her brother choice, believing it was her fault in the first place that Ji Young chose such a dangerous career. When they were younger, they were both out playing in a park when a car suddenly pulled up and a man emerged. He grabbed a hold of his sister and began dragging her to his car. Ji Young fought against the man, but being only ten at the time, he was unable to do anything. Luckily, a policeman happened to be passing by at that moment, scaring the kidnapper off. That was when Ji Young vowed to become a policeman, to protect his sister.

Ji Young sister suddenly snapped out of her reverie. She glanced over at the others with a smile. “I need a drink. Any of you want one?”

They all laugh, pointing at the glasses on the table that Ji Young hadn’t noticed. “We all got ours a while ago.”

“I’ll go get you a drink,oppa” said as she was about to stand but was stopped by Ji Young.

“That’s alright,; I can get it myself.” he stood up and made his way over to the kiosk where the drinks were sold.

“One Iced banana Smoothie,” said Ji Young in unison with another male voice. he spun on the spot to see a handsome and somewhat familiar face.

The man looked down at him with a small amused smile. “It looks like we’re having the same drink,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess so,” replied Ji Young as he turned back around to face the counter. he had a nagging feeling that he’d seen his face somewhere. In one of his wanted criminal files?

He leaned on his back against the counter, staring back out over the range. “I don’t usually see any guy like you out here. I mean, dressed the way you are, that is.”

Ji Young glanced back down at his appearance before staring back into the depths of the kiosk. “I like to be comfortable.”

The man gave a small chuckle. “I guess you do.” The kiosk attendant finally returned with the two banana smoothies. Ji Young was about to reach into his pocket when the man suddenly put out a hand to stop him. he looked up at the man, frowning as he stepped away from him. He just smiled and turned to the kiosk attendant. “Put it on my tab,” he said, nodding at Ji Young drink.

“Very well, Master Lee.”

“I can afford my own drinks, mister,” snapped Ji Young as he drew out the money, placing it on the counter and grabbing his drink as he walked off. The man watched him walk away with an amused grin.

“An interesting man indeed,” he said quietly as he took his drink, leaving the money on the counter.

Ji Young stormed back to his table, sitting silently in his seat with an annoyed expression. The others looked at him, confused, but left him alone as they continued their conversation. he continued to fume in his seat, peeved that the man had arrogantly tried to pay his tab. he wasn’t someone to buy off that easily.

“Hey, Daehwi! What took you so long to get your drink?” shouted someone several meters away at another table. Ji Young glanced over to see the man he had met at the counter come to sit with his friend.

Daehwi… Master Lee son! Ji Young suddenly remembered the smiling face of Daehwi who always stood behind his father in his promotional speeches. That jerk is the son of a future president? he glanced away, now focusing on his drink. No wonder he seemed familiar. he felt like slapping his head in stupidity. How could he not remember something like that? The he gave himself a mental shrug. But it’s not like we’re ever going to meet again, right?

* * *

  
tbc.


	5. Chapter 5

**\- Ten Years Ago -**

* * *

  
Ji Hoon stayed curled up in the corner of the room as the morning’s rays filtered in through the half-opened windows, the broken bottle still in his hands. he had long since removed the makeshift weapon from the corpse, the glass slipping from his stepfather’s flesh with a small sickening squelch. he had no idea how long he sat in the corner, staring at the dead body which had only just stopped bleeding awhile ago. The blood on his hands and face that was spilled had dried, making his skin taut. A tangy, metallic smell clung around him, barely penetrating the shock which had frozen his body.  
  
Keys jangled at the door before it opened. Ji Hoon mother stepped into the room, stopping in the middle of her yawn as an unfamiliar odour met her. Slowly, she turned to her right where she dropped everything she held. Her husband’s body lay stiff on the ground, his eyes wide-open and peering at her lifeless. Her gaze then travelled over to Ji Hoon, where she saw her son sitting trembling in the corner, her eyes wide-open in shock. She rushed over to her son, prying his stiff hands apart to remove the broken bottle before gripping her son in a tight hug.  
  
“What… what happened, Ji Hoon ah?” she asked in a gentle voice, not wanting to believe the evidence in the room.  
  
The warmth of her mother’s chest finally broke Ji Hoon out of his shock. he began to cry, sobbing loudly into his mother’s clothes. “He… he… wasn’t drunk… tonight... He… he… unbottoning and… and… doing… things…” His explanation was fragmented but Ji Hoon mother understood nevertheless.  
  
Suddenly, Ji Hoon mother pulled apart the hug, wiping his tears away as a new determination came into her voice. “Listen Ji Hoon; we have to leave. Get as far away as possible from this place.”  
  
“And leave him here?” questioned Ji Hoon as he glanced at the body.  
  
“Yes, we leave him here. Someone will find his body even if we try to hide it. Best not to bother and try to get as far away as possible.” She suddenly stood up, pulling her son to her feet. “Only take what you really need, okay, Ji Hoon?”  
  
Ji Hoon nodded as he ran off to his room and his mother went to him. As she entered his room, Ji Hoon finally noticed all the blood covering him. Bile rose to his throat as everything he had done finally caught up with him and he barely made it to the bathroom, vomiting what little there was in his stomach. His mother came running into the room at the sound, kneeling down to rub her son body as she tried to hold back her tears. When Ji Hoon finally stopped retching, he collapsed against the wall where his mother soon returned with a moist towel and began wiping the blood from her son face.  
  
“Are you okay, Ji Hoon?” she asked, her heart wrenching with the sorrow she felt for her son.  
  
Ji Hoon nodded weakly as he let his mother clean the dry blood from his skin. “There was just… so much blood…” Her mother then helped him up, taking him to stand under the shower, letting the cold water clean the rest of the blood. She then returned with a fresh set of clothes, which Ji Hoon promptly changed into. They placed the blood stained clothes into a plastic bag to take with them. After the cleanup, Ji Hoon mother took him to sit on his bed as she went about packing her son belongings.  
  
As she finished, Ji Hoon mother was about to pull her son out of the room when Ji Hoon pulled her back. “Just one moment, Mum,” he said as he ran over to retrieve something from under his bed. he stood back up, a square metal tin in his hands which jangled slightly. Ji Hoon reached for the backpack his mother held, stuffing it in the midst of his clothes.  
  
His mother didn’t say anything, merely raising an eyebrow in surprise before they left the room, locking the door behind them. It was still early in the morning and people were only beginning to wake, the streets still quiet.  
  
It took them some time but they finally made their way to a bus station. There, Ji Hoon mother waited in line, ignoring the long-distance taxi drivers who were trying to solicit business. Although it was still early, the station was bustling with activity. Ji Hoon waited in the rows of seats, holding the two backpacks close to him. he glanced around at the other people, a small fear gnawing away at his heart. His mind began to play tricks on him and he began to suspect that everyone knew he had killed his stepfather. he grew agitated, willing his mother to hurry and return to his side.  
  
Relief flooded through Ji Hoon when he saw his mother return, a comforting smile on her face. Ji Hoon hopped off the chair and ran to her, gripping her in a tight hug.  
  
“Don’t leave me alone, okay Mother?” he said quietly as he buried his face in his mother’s dress.  
  
Ji Hoon mother kneeled down to comfort her son. “Mother’s never going to leave your side, Ji Hoon darling. Mother’s always right here.” She patted the back of her son head, her hug tightening slightly. “Everything will be alright, Ji Hoon dear… everything will be alright…”  
  
They returned to their seats as they waited for their bus to jeju to arrive. They didn’t have long to wait before it came, right on time. Ji Hoon mother led her son to the bus, Ji Hoon clinging tightly to his mother’s side, eyeing the other passengers warily. Fifteen minutes later, Ji Hoon and his mother were seated in an isolated spot on the bus and they pulled out of the station, heading towards the freeway.  
  
Leaving the city limits, Ji Hoon began to grow tired, barely able to stifle a yawn. he peered up at his mother, his eyes slightly drooping. “Where are we going, Mother?” he asked sleepily.  
  
Ji Hoon mother smiled down at him, kissing her son gently on his forehead. “To jeju do, dear. I know it’s not really that far but it was all I could afford.” She encircled her son in a firm hug, adjusting her position so that Ji Hoon could lie comfortably on her lap. “But for now, my dear; just sleep. Forget everything that happened. When you wake up, we will be in a new place… with a new start…”

* * *

  
  
A month flew by quickly. Ji Hoon was admitted into a school without much fuss and his mother took up a job at a nearby open-air restaurant as a waitress and kitchen hand. The days drifted by with no interesting events, as if that night in seoul had never happened. Yet every night, in their small room in the slums, his stepfather’s face never failed to appear in his dreams. Ji Hoon would wake up suddenly, sweat pouring down his face as sobs wracked his body bitterly. His mother would then be startled awake but she was always ready to calm her son down, muttering assurances into her distressed child’s ear.  
  
However, Ji Hoon did his best to appear untroubled during the day in an attempt to be less of a hassle for his mother. he felt guilty that he had brought this hardship onto her, but he didn’t regret what had happened. Now he had more time to spend with his mother, time he had lost when he was avoiding his stepfather. Ji Hoon mother was the only reason he had decided to try and put the tragic event behind him, for he was the only person he cared most about in the world.  
  
Ji Hoon made his way down the side of a street towards the restaurant his mother worked at, glancing at the cars as they sped by. After school each day, Ji Hoon would make his way to the restaurant to help his mother as much as possible, thus earning the favour of the owner, Madam Liu. The owner was a feisty, large woman, her face lined with the years of hard work she put into the restaurant. Although her appearance made her seem formidable, she was a soft-hearted woman with an optimistic attitude towards life.  
  
The small restaurant was mildly busy, not many customers yet as it was the time between lunch and dinner. Ji Hoon promptly entered the back of the shop, leaving his school bag out of the way. he then proceeded towards the sink where a large pile of dishes lay, waiting to be washed. Pulling up his sleeves, Ji Hoon found a small stool and pulled it over to the sink, stepping up on it so that he was just a little higher than the top. Water gushed out of the tap and he poured a little of the soap onto the sponge, making it foam as he began to wash the dishes.  
  
His mother suddenly appeared behind, a small smile on his face as he shook his head. he walked over, pulling up his own sleeves. “How many time do I have to tell you that you don’t have to help me, Ji Hoon?” chided his mother with mock scorn.  
  
Ji Hoon only smiled back up at his mother. “I want to help,” he replied simply.  
  
Ji Hoon mother gave him a little peck on the cheek. “You are the most fillial son, Ji Hoon.” She suddenly took the sponge out of Ji Hoon hands. “Now, go and finish all your homework first. Then, maybe I’ll let you help me out a little.”  
  
“Fine, Mother,” sighed Ji Hoon as he shook his hands of the soap scuds. he grinned at his mother as he hopped off the stool, walking over to heft his bag over his shoulder and exiting out the back door into the alleyway behind.  
  
Whenever Ji Hoon was chased off to do his homework, he would always come out into the alleyway. Madam Park had asked why he didn’t study inside but Ji Hoon replied that he found the restaurant was too noisy for him to concentrate and that he preferred to be outside when working on his homework. The alleyway out back was quite clean and Ji Hoon made his way over to a small worn out table which Madam Park kept out there. she had given Ji Hoon a chair to sit on too after agreeing to the boy desire. Ji Hoon pulled out his notebook, along with a textbook and his pencil case. A history test was coming up soon and he had to make sure that he studied hard to get good grades.  
  
An hour flew by and Ji Hoon finally covered the last of his homework. he shut his textbook, feeling a sense of accomplishment flood though him. Now he would be able to go and help his mother in the restaurant. Packing up his stuff quickly, he halted as he stepped towards the doorway, a soft purring noise catching his attention. Believing he was hearing things, he was about to continue when he heard it again. Curious, he stood rooted to the spot, listening attentively to figure out where the sound came from. The purring came again as he snapped his head towards the dumpster. A small rustling sound was heard and as Ji Hoon went to open the lid of the dumpster, his suspicions were confirmed.  
  
A small grey cat sat trapped on top of a pile of rotten vegetables, its legs bent at an odd angle. Ji Hoon figured the poor creature must have injured it's leg as it makes it way into the dumpster, thus ending up trapped. The cats shifted again, limping away as it was startled by Ji Hoon appearance. Taking pity on the creature, Ji Hoon decided to pick the cats up, muttering soft words to calm it down as it moves purring away. Before long, the cats stopped moving, cocking its head around alert as it took in its surroundings. Ji Hoon smiled as he took the cats back over to the table.  
  
“Let me have a look at your legs…” he said gently, as he carefully touched the injured legs. The cat purring loudly, scratching his hand.  
  
“Ow! That really hurt! I won’t help you if you don’t behave, Mr. Kitty.” Ji Hoon peered again at the legs . “Hmm… I think it’s broken. Maybe I’ll take you to the vet.”  
  
he hopped off the chair, carrying the cats inside. Ji Hoon found his mother cleaning the tables with an old cloth. “Mother! I found this hurt cats out back! Can I take him to the vet?”  
  
Ji Hoon mother looked at him with a frown. “Ji Hoon, let that thing go! Do you know how many germs those pesky cats carry?”  
  
“But, Mother! Its’  leg is hurt!” whined Ji Hoon as he held the cats protectively. “I can’t let it go in this condition!”  
  
Madam Parklaughed as she made her way over. “Let the boy go,. I think it’s adorable that your son wants to help the poor animal.” She reached into her pocket, pulling out a couple of notes. “Here, Ji Hoon; take this money to pay the vet. And make sure they bandage his legs up properly, okay?”  
  
Ji Hoon smiled up at the woman, his eyes shining with gratitude. “Thankyou, Madam Park,” he answered as he took the money and ran off, his mother shouting behind for Ji Hoon to come back. Madam Park continued to laugh, assuring her that it was alright.  
  
A vet was located nearby and although they appeared reluctant to take the cats in to treat, they eventually conceded when they saw that Ji Hoon was willing to pay them in cash. The veterinarian seemed kind enough and he allowed Ji Hoon to stay in the room, showing him how to set the fragile bone and bandage the legs. Seeing how attentive Ji Hoon was to his teaching, the veterinarian couldn’t help but smile, offering him a bottle of Cats shampoo with which to clean the animal. Ji Hoon bowed him thanks and left smiling, clutching the cats with its’ bandaged legs firmly.  
  
“You’re lucky you found me, Mr. Kitty, or else you may never have gotten your legs fixed. That would be really sad… you’d never be able to walk again.” Ji Hoon let out a small sigh as he turned back to look down at the cats with a smile. “I guess I should let you out on your on way now u must have felt scared now huh? I’d better hurry back to the restaurant before Mother starts to worry too much about me!”  
  
Ji Hoon quickened his pace, arriving to an abrupt halt just outside the restaurant. There seemed to be quite a lot of people crowded in the shop, trying to peer over one another’s shoulders at a scene inside. Ji Hoon wondered what they were doing when the crowd suddenly parted, letting his mother through as he was led out by two policemen, her hands handcuffed in front. His heart literally fell to the floor as comprehension dawned on his twelve year-old mind. he ran forward, the cats still clutched in his hand.  
  
“Mother! Mother! What’s going on?” he asked, even though he knew the answer.  
  
The police officers halted as they saw Ji Hoon approach, one of them holding him back. Ji Hoon mother cried as she watched her son, tears streaming down his face in glistening trails. “Ji Hoon, dear… don’t worry about Mother, okay? Everything is going to be fine… everything is going to be fine…”  
  
Another policeman came to hold Ji Hoon back, his grip on him shoulders firm yet gentle. He looked down at Ji Hoon with sorrowful eyes, feeling guilty about what he had to say to this little boy. “Your Mother has to go to the police station,s he did something bad in the city. She killed a man so now she has to be punished.”  
  
Ji Hoon shook his head in disbelief. “No… no…” he broke free of the policeman’s grip, running straight for his mother who was about to enter a police car. “Mother! What are you doing? You didn’t kill anyone, I-”  
  
“Shhh!” hushed Ji Hoon mother with a panicked expression. She peered at the two policemen who were eyeing her suspiciously. “Don’t speak nonsense, Ji Hoon. I’m doing this for your own good, dear. Mother killed your stepfather; there’s no way we can run away forever, my dear. I’m so sorry…”  
  
Ji Hoon began to cry uncontrollably, shaking his head furiously. “No… no… no… you didn’t, Mother… you didn’t…”  
  
His mother pulled him in for a tight hug, unable to control her tears as well. “I’m sorry, Ji Hoon… I love you so much, my little angel…”  
  
The police officers finally pried Ji Hoon away from his mother, the policeman from before now restraining him tightly as he screamed loudly, his voice resonating sorrowfully through the street. Onlookers turned away at the sound, unable to watch the heart wrenching scene of a boy who had just lost the most important thing in his world as a result of his mistake:  **his mother.**

* * *

 

**tbc.**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another sad part of Ji Hoon past is revealed... Hmm... I'm starting to wonder how long this story will be. It's seems like the plot is moving forwards slowly,  Now, I might post the next chapter up soon i've actually completed writing a few more chapter... ;P
> 
>  
> 
> Next chapter: Ji Hoon & Daniel finally... meet?


	6. Chapter 6

_**\- Present Day -** _

* * *

  
SeongWoo stuff came swiftly down towards Ji Hoon head in an overhead blow, connecting firmly with a loud ‘clack’ as Ji Hoon raised his pole to block. He then spun out from under it, bringing his staff for a blow to his head. He blocked it, thrusting the butt of his pole upwards towards his chin which he jumped away from, just out of reach. They circled one another, their eyes never leaving the other as they waited for their opponent’s move. Ji Hoon was the first to instigate the attack, his pole thrust forwards, aiming for his head. SeongWoo dodged the blow easily, moving his head out of the way slightly as he aimed a blow for his abdomen. Ji Hoon moved to block it, spinning around to bring his staff to jab him in the stomach. He moved deftly out of the way, stepping around behind his and bringing his staff up to lock him from behind. Ji Hoon stopped moving, his chest heaving from the exercise as he felt the pole pressed firmly at his neck. He could hear SeongWoo’s heart pound loudly behind him, he too exhausted from their duel. He suddenly released him, walking over to a wooden bench at the edge of the room, picking up a towel to wipe the sweat from his face.  
  
Ji Hoon and SeongWoo were located in a small dojo, only one of the many training rooms in Dawn mansion. The room was spacious, blue foam matting on the floor to help ease the amount of stress put on the fighter’s joints. Mirrors lined the walls, allowing the martial artists who used the room to correct their form if need be. Nobody else was in the room, yet several other junior members were located just outside the doorway, still trying to peer into the room. Ji Hoon glanced their way and they scattered, guilty at being caught.  
  
SeongWoo followed Ji Hoon’s gaze, taking a large swing from his water bottle as he spotted the fleeing heads of their spectators. A small, wry smile spread on his face. “You’re always scaring them off, Ji Hoon.”  
  
Ji Hoon turned to glance at SeongWoo with an indifferent look. “They should know better by now.”  
  
SeongWoo snorted as he took another mouthful of water. Since the night he had first met him, Ji Hoon had always appeared aloof and uncaring towards everyone. Even after all these years he was still the same. However, the way he had lost the fight so easily indicated to him that he was distracted.  
  
“Something on your mind?” he asked casually as he finally came to sit beside him.  
  
Ji Hoon remained quiet. He opened a bottle and began drinking greedily. “Nothing really. How are things going with 'dragon'?” asked Ji Hoon, obviously changing the topic.  
  
SeongWoo decided not to press him further. “They seem to be attacking in a pattern, always attacking the pubs and bars our members visit in a specific order. Not very bright. Tonight’s target will be The White Rose Pub and I’ll be going there with some of my men.”  
  
“I’ll go with you,” said Ji Hoon all of a sudden. SeongWoo turned to stare at him, surprised.  
  
“This isn’t exactly your area, Ji Hoon.” He turned away, staring back at him through the reflection in the opposite mirror. “Besides, Min Soo won’t let you go.”  
  
Ji Hoon returned his stare. “He will,” he replied simply before standing up and leaving the room. SeongWoo watched him leave, a worried expression on his face. Ji Hoon really was troubled.

* * *

  
  
The two of them were seated in the midst of SeongWoo’s underlings, Ji Hoon ignoring the boys as they cheered loudly. They were putting up the charade that they were truly out for a night of fun, in case the attackers happened to have someone watching their group for suspicious activity. Sure enough, Ji Hoon spotted the spy, a boy of no more than fourteen who tried to appear as if he wasn’t looking at them. Ji Hoon felt scorn for the boy, noticing how young he was to become involved in gang affairs.  
  
Several hours passed by before SeongWoo figured that they had spent enough time ‘having fun’. He stood up slightly, pretending to sway on the spot as if he was drunk. “Come on guys; time to get back. We’ve done enough celebrating for tonight!” He pulled Ji Hoon up to his feet, placing an arm around his shoulder. He turned to give him an annoyed look and he just winked in return. “You wanted to come along,” he whispered as he began to drag him along, the other men following along in their mock drunken states.  
  
Ji Hoon bit back several nasty retorts as he conceded to SeongWoo’s act. They made their way past the spy, his nose still buried in the menu. Ji Hoon had to stop himself from shaking his head.  
  
The street outside was quiet, few cars driving as it was just past midnight. The other’s were still pretending to be drunk, screaming out loud into the night air or getting into playful fights with one another. SeongWoo continued to leave his arm around Ji Hoon; enduring the pain from the pinch he was now giving his side. He laughed out loud, leaning his head against Ji Hoon’s shoulder.  
  
“I bet you’re regretting coming with us now, huh, Ji Hoon?” he smiled, stumbling a little so that he had to hold him in a tight hug.  
  
Ji Hoon stepped on his foot, making him stand back upright. “No, I regret coming with you.”  
  
SeongWoo laughed. “Now are you going to tell me what has been troubling you lately?”  
  
“No.” Ji Hoon continued to walk beside him, her arms crossed across his chest.  
  
“Why not?” He began to stroke his cheek, making him swat his hand away in annoyance. He just smiled. “After all, you were my student.”  
  
Ji Hoon continued to stare ahead as they rounded a corner. “Only for a year. You were more of a training partner than my teacher.”  
  
SeongWoo laughed once more. “True, true… but I still think of you as a student.”  
  
The men ahead suddenly came to a halt and SeongWoo finally removed his arm from Ji Hoon’s shoulders. They all visibly stiffened as they stared at the ten boys brandishing a variety of weapons, from rusted pipes to silver machetes. Ji Hoon eyed them carefully, spotting the boy who had been spying on them earlier posted at the back.  
  
“The youngest boy is mine,” said Ji Hoon quietly to SeongWoo. He nodded in reply before he walked to the front of his men.  
  
SeongWoo suddenly spread his arms out wide, as if welcoming the group. They stared at him in confusion, their stances faltering a little at this unpredicted action. “Hello there, boys. You seem to be in the mood for a fight. If you decide to put down your weapons, then all of you will be able to walk away without getting hurt. But-” He paused, looking down at the ground as he waged a finger. “If you decide to do what you’ve been doing to our other men on our turf, then I can’t promise that you’ll all be able to leave with your lives intact.”  
  
The tallest boy in the group who also seemed to be the oldest suddenly laughed as he tapped the baseball bat in his hands. “Do you really think you old guys can take on the ten of us without any weapons? Please, there’s only five of you and that frail looking guy behind you.” The boy moved to look past SeongWoo at Ji Hoon, a demeaning grin on his face. “ya! handsome boy! You’d better get out of here before you get hurt. I don’t want a cute looking guy like you to get hit.” He laughed, several of his mates jeering.  
  
Then he suddenly stopped. He stumbled backwards slightly into his mates as he lifted a hand to touch his bruised chin. He looked down towards the ground where a small, blunt metal dart that was as thick as a finger lay. Turning to peer back up, he saw Ji Hoon’s hand was still outstretched, his fingers still in the same position as when he had let the dart go. he had moved so fast that no one had noticed him throwing the thing.  
  
“You brought those things with you, Ji Hoon?” asked SeongWoo as he stared at the object on the ground. He turned back up to look at the boy. “You’re lucky that he didn’t pack his sharp ones, boy.”  
  
Ji Hoon walked forwards, the other men moving to let him through. “Never underestimate me, kid,” he said, coolly.  
  
The boy stared at him in contempt. He suddenly spat the blood in his mouth to the ground as he raised his bat over his head, charging at him with a scream. The rest of his crew rushed behind, attacking the rest of the men.  
  
Ji Hoon dodged the bat with ease, his knee connecting with his stomach as he moved to the side. he followed through with an elbow to his back, aiming for a spot on his spine just below his neck. He collapsed straight to the ground, gasping in pain as his bat slipped from his grip. Ji Hoon was about to follow through with another kick when a machete suddenly came whistling through the air, missing him by a few centimetres. He grabbed the boy’s arm on the upward return, twisting his wrist around as he dug his thumb into the hollow part of his arm just below. The weapon clattered to the ground as the boy shouted from the unexpected pain, grasping his arm which had suddenly grown weak. Ji Hoon sent a back kick at a guy charging from behind before kicking the leader once more as he was trying to get up.  
  
Looking around him, Ji Hoon saw that few were left standing. He noticed the youngest boy begin to charge at one of the men, a wooden plank with nails protruding from its end rose above his head. The henchman managed to stop the boy with ease, wrestling the board from his hands. He was about to hit the boy when Ji Hoon came to stop him.  
  
“He’s just a kid.” The man stared at him angrily, Ji Hoon returning the gaze unfalteringly. He threw the board away as he walked towards SeongWoo who was now tying up the boys as the fight was over. Three boys were in worse shape than the others, one of them sporting a large gash across his chest and a broken arm. Another was bleeding badly from a wound to the head whereas the third was unconscious, his leg at an odd angle.  
  
Ji Hoon dragged the boy to his feet, pulling him over to the rest of his group and throwing him to the ground. He grabbed him by the hair, forcing him to look at the injured bodies. “Is this what you like doing? How does it feel, seeing your friends in such a state? See how easy the flesh parts with a blade, how fragile human bone really is? Do you want to spend the rest of your life inflicting such pain on others, receiving the same wounds yourself eventually?” Ji Hoon let go of his head, shoving it a little towards the ground. Tears began to stream down his innocent face as he stared at his injured mates.  
  
“I didn’t realise it would be like this…” he sobbed silently. “I only joined them today… I didn’t have anywhere else to go…” His voice cracked, disappearing as he stared helplessly at his friends.  
  
Pity suddenly filled his soul as he watched the boy cry. He crouched down beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. For some reason, he felt a strong affinity for the boy, as if he recognised something in his eyes… “Listen; it’s not too late to start anew. Stay away from all this gang violence. It only leads to sorrow and pain.”  
  
The boy peered up at him, his eyes glistening in the light from the street lamps. “Then what should I do? My uncle… does things to me. I don’t want to go back to him.”  
  
“Then don’t.” Ji Hoon smiled at the boy, and for the first time in a long time the smile actually reached his eyes. “Help me take these idiots to a hospital first, and then we’ll figure out what you’ll do next.”  
  
He looked up as SeongWoo’s shadow fell across the both of them. They exchanged a silent look with one another before he nodded his consent, turning back around to face the rest of his men.  
  
“Alright, guys; let’s get these troublesome idiots to one of our hideouts. It’s time to gather some information.” He bent down and picked up the leader, hauling him up painfully, twisting his arm. The others followed suit and soon they were hauling away their six prisoners towards a deserted nearby building. The boy watched them carry his mates away, feeling dread as he realized what would be in store for them next. He turned back to look at Ji Hoon and he saw him inspecting the boys.  
  
“We won’t be able to carry them all the way to a hospital by ourselves, that’s for sure… I guess there’s no choice. I’ll have to call an ambulance. Boy,” snapped Ji Hoon suddenly, his earlier warmth gone. “Rip the shirt of the one with the cut on his chest open. Take off his jacket and use it to staunch the blood flow. I have to make a couple calls.”  
  
The boy did as he was told as he muttered, “My name is jin, not ‘Boy’.” Ji Hoon smiled as he dialed SeongWoo’s mobile to tell him of what he was going to do, before calling for an ambulance.

* * *

  
  
Daniel was called out to the hospital that night, deciding to do one of his co-workers a favor by taking his place. He eagerly took the case, seeing it as a chance to catch a breather from his own dead-end ‘Apollyon’ case. The emergency ward was busy, nurses and doctors rushing to and fro from mildly ailing patients to seriously injured ones. He spotted two police officers trying to talk to a young man, who sat puzzled against a confused looking teenage boy. They seemed to be at a lost as to what to do with the young man who got pretty frightened and shaken.  
  
“Listen; please try to calm down. We understand that what you saw must not have been pretty. Everything is fine now. You did the right thing in calling the police, mr,” said the one who sat the closest.  
  
The other was rubbing his temples, as if he was trying to ward off a horrible headache. He looked up and spotted Daniel with his ID hanging around his neck, recognizing him as the detective that was sent. He stood up, holding his hand out to shake. “Hello, Sir. This gentlemen here is the witness but we have no idea what he's been talking and at a loss. He seems really stressed out over what he saw.”  
  
“What about the boy?” asked Daniel as he peered at the boy who was avoiding eye contact?  
  
“He seems to be mute, Sir,” replied the officer by the man side. Daniel motioned for him to move away and he took the seat by the gentlemen.  
  
He placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling him flinch away reflexively. “Mr… What is your name?” he asked gently.  
  
The man finally looked up and he was met with a stunning pair of eyes that stared back at him frightened. He saw his eyes drift down to his name tag where a moment’s glint of surprise flashed through them, but it was only for an instant. His eyes returned to his face he begin grumbling nonsense  
  
“My name is Ji Hoon ,” he replied . Daniel surprised and taken back by the name.. but ignore it and just nodded  as he pulled out a pad to make notes on.  
  
“Ji Hoon……” He looked back up, his pen still poised above the paper.  
  
Daniel once again nodded as he scribbled across the paper. “Alright… I know that you probably don’t want to talk about this yet, but I would really appreciate it if you could.” He stared deep into Ji Hoon’s eyes. Ji Hoon gave an uncertain nod before he began speaking.  
  
“I was on my way back home from spending the night with some of my friends at a nearby bar. I called Jin here to come and pick me up. He’s my cousin, by the way,” added Ji Hoon, his eyes drifting to the pad on which Daniel was still furiously making notes.  
  
“Uh-huh… and what happened next?”  
  
“Well, we heard some strange noises up ahead so we decided to slow down and hide behind the corner. As I peered around, I saw… saw… people… fighting. It looked like a gang fight and there was blood… from that guy’s chest… ..” Ji Hoon pretty shaken about it and went about jibbling something Daniel dun really understands...  
  
Daniel looked up from his notepad to place his hand on his shoulder once more. “It’s okay… Ji Hoon…” He felt sorry for the innocent young man; The urge to suddenly pull him towards him in a protective hug was so strong that it surprised him. He suddenly stood up, looking elsewhere to hide how flustered he was feeling. Deciding it was probably best not to press him further he asked, “Do you need a ride home? I can take you if you want…?”  
  
Ji Hoon took a deep breath as he made a show of pulling himself together. he stood up, smiling a half-smile at Daniel. “That’s alright; I already have a ride waiting for me.”  
  
Daniel nodded, somewhat disappointed at his reply. “Oh, alright. Have a safe trip home, Mr.  Ji Hoon.”  
  
Ji Hoon bowed his head in thanks. “Thankyou, Detective Kang Euigeon.”  
  
Daniel watched as Ji Hoon walked out, holding jin close to his side. He saw a black car suddenly appear at the entrance, and a man stepping out to hold the door open for him. Ji Hoon glanced one more time over his shoulder and their eyes connected for a second, before he stepped in. Something about the way he had said his name seemed to bother him nobody would call him by his birth name.. and the name 'Ji Hoon' rings bells reminded of 'him' but he's dead isn't he?  ....,still he dismissed that nagging feeling, thinking that it was because he had become so accustomed to being called Daniel instead of Euigeon and was thinking the name is pretty common, that it just felt weird..

* * *

_tbc._


	7. Chapter 7

**-Nine Years Ago -**

* * *

 

Daniel walked into the orphanage, Minhyun and the twins waiting for him in the foyer. Minhyun was seated on a staircase leading up as he watched the twins play a game of twenty one with a pack of playing cards that Daniel had brought over for them last time. He waved at Daniel in greeting, before returning his gaze to the twins. Daniel came to sit down beside him, now watching the twins with interest.

  
“Who’s winning?” he asked Minhyun.  
  
“Neither. They’ve both won three out of six already. This is the deciding round.” He suddenly turned to face Daniel. “You’re late today. Did you get held back by your new family?”  
  
Daniel smiled as he shook his head. “Nah. I just got on the wrong bus. I mistook 347 for 342. How stupid was that?” He laughed loudly, throwing back his head.  
  
Minhyun nodded with a grin of his own. Suddenly, SungWoon jumped to his feet, throwing his cards away as his hands went to his head in a Minhyun of disbelief. “NOOOOO! I can’t believe I just lost to you, WooJin! Argh! I demand a rematch! A rematch!!!!”  
  
WooJin stood up slowly, a smug smile on his face as he waved the winning cards before his brother. “I won fair and square, SungWoon. See?!  
  
SungWoon swatted the cards out of his brother’s hand. “Whatever.” He turned around to Minhyun, glaring at him accusingly. “This is all because you didn’t play dealer.” He then suddenly noticed Daniel’s presence and a smile lit his face as he forgot his foul mood. “ok Daniel ! When did you get here?”  
  
WooJin came over to shove his brother’s head. “Long enough to see your tantrum, SungWoon”  
  
Daniel couldn’t help but laugh. He missed hanging around with these guys after he was adopted over three months ago. Their silly antics and bickering was what always brightened his dreary days here at the orphanage, and he had made it a habit to come and visit them as often as possible. Although he loved the Kim’s family and his new little dongseang, Jae Hwan, he still couldn’t forget his friends who had helped him through the toughest time of his life.  
  
WooJin suddenly came to sit on Daniel’s other side, draping an arm around his shoulders as he avoided his brother’s glare. SungWoon stuck out his tongue at his twin before he turned away and began picking up the mess of cards. “Hey, Daniel ; it’s been only, what, three days and you miss us already? Doesn’t your new family worry about you coming over here so much?”  
  
Daniel smiled as he placed his arm around WooJin’s shoulders. “Nah, they understand. How could I just leave you guys here all by yourselves? Minhyun here isn’t assertive enough to keep you two devils in check!”  
  
Minhyun suddenly shoved Daniel. “I’m right here, you know.” He tried to frown but he couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.  
  
SungWoon finally finished picking up the cards and came to lean against the staircase post on the bottom step, absently shuffling the cards. “You know, there’s a new guy here. He just came in two days ago.”  
  
“Really?” asked Daniel, mildly surprised. He wondered why SungWoon had suddenly mentioned that.  
  
“Oh, yeah…” The grin on WooJin’s face suddenly disappeared as a solemn look came over his face. Daniel glanced at Minhyun to see that he, too, seemed troubled.  
  
“What’s with the looks? Is he some sort of demon or something?” grinned Daniel, half-jokingly. The smile soon left his face as he received a sarcastic look from his friends.  
  
“No, he’s just… strange,” said WooJin. “All he ever does is sitting in the corner of the library, staring out the window. Some of the others have tried talking with him but he just… looks at them… coldly.”  
  
The twins suddenly shuddered. SungWoon came to sit on the step just below his brother. “I tried talking with him yesterday. I’ll never forget those eyes. So distant yet sad...”  
  
“I overhead the Sisters talking about him earlier,” said Minhyun suddenly. The twins snapped their heads up at him, suddenly attentive.  
  
“What were they saying?” they asked in unison.  
  
“Well…” Minhyun glanced at Daniel, unsure whether he should say what he had overheard but he saw that Daniel was curious too. “I didn’t mean to listen in; I was just passing by, you know…”  
  
“Hurry on with it, Minhyun!” urged WooJin. Daniel gave him a little pinch. “Ow!”  
  
“Thanks, Daniel,” said Minhyun as he glared at WooJin. “Anyway, as I was saying… I wasn’t meant to hear this so don’t tell anyone else.” He paused, taking in a deep breath. “Apparently his mother was in jail for murdering his stepfather.”  
  
The three of them stared at Minhyun, wide-eyed with shock. SungWoon suddenly whistled. “Then that kind of explains it.”  
  
“But that wasn’t all they said,” continued Minhyun. “At the first orphanage he was taken into, the other kids soon found out about his mother and began teasing his for it. he beat up three kids over the matter, all by himself.”  
  
“Wow… that’s something,” commented SungWoon again.  
  
“The next orphanage he went to he set the dorm on fire. They say he did it because they wouldn’t let him go visit his mother. Luckily, though, no one was hurt.”  
  
“That guy really has some issues going with him.” It was SungWoon again.  
  
“At the third orphanage, nothing happened for several months. It seemed like he had finally settled down somewhere, even though no one wanted to adopt him. Then two weeks ago, his mother was suddenly killed by another prisoner just because they ‘didn’t like her face’. He went crazy and began tearing up the place, saying that it was all his fault. And then he ended up here.”  
  
The four of them fell into a solemn silence, no one having the heart to utter another word. Even SungWoon was at a loss this time to comment. All of them had suffered the pain and sorrow that came from losing their parents, but they found their sorrows paled in comparison to the guy. Daniel was the first to break the mournful silence.  
  
“Do any of you know what his name is?” he asked.  
  
Minhyun was the one who replied. “ Ji Hoon Park Ji Hoon.”

* * *

  
  
Ji Hoon sat in the same corner, staring up into the blue sky outside. He spotted several birds soaring through the air, remembering the pigeon he had saved on the day his mother was arrested. Closing his eyes, he let the sun’s warmth consume him, releasing his mind from all thought. He allowed his spirit to float up towards the sky, joining the birds in their exhilarating freedom. Ji Hoon found himself doing this more often lately, a way for him to forget the aching pain of losing his mother. As his thoughts drifted to his mother he was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to shout . It was all his fault… everything was his fault… His mother died because she was taking the blame for something she didn’t do. Ji Hoon was the one who had killed his stepfather; not his mother. That one thought had constantly returned to echo in his head, over and over for the past year. But Ji Hoon was powerless to do anything. he couldn’t go back to change the past. And that was what pained him most.  
  
He opened his eyes now, turning to glance at his surroundings. The library was deserted, all the other children afraid to enter whenever he was in there. But that was the way he liked it. To be honest, he was tired of moving from one orphanage to the other. He was tired of life in general. His mother had been the only reason he had put up with everything, but now she was gone. Ji Hoon didn’t know why he should even continue on living.  
  
A hand suddenly waved before his face, startling him from his train of thought. he jumped slightly on the spot as he glanced at the perpetrator, who grinned back at him widely. He suddenly hopped up onto the wooden bench Ji Hoon was seated on, turning to stare out the window at the grounds of the orphanage.  
  
“This spot has quite a nice view. I can see why everyone says you like sitting in here.” He continued to stare out the window, a small smile touching his lips.  
  
Ji Hoon studied him out of the corner of his eye, his manner cold and aloof. He didn’t recognize this boy as one of the children who stayed here. His face was gentle looking with the smily eyes, and his eyes seemed to stare off mysteriously. His small, button nose was pressed against the window glass, adding to the boyish aura he saw around him. For some reason, he didn’t feel annoyed at his presence and he returned to stare back up into the sky.  
  
The boy felt his gaze leave him so he now turned to stare at Ji Hoon. “My name is Kang Euigeon, but everyone just calls me Daniel Kang Daniel.” He studied him now, noting how thin he was, obviously not eating right. He began to feel worried for him, the sadness in his eyes only hinting at the surface of his misery.  
  
Daniel turned to stare back out the window, now looking into the sky where he saw the birds frolicking in mid-flight. “Birds are the luckiest creatures in the world, being able to fly anywhere. Don’t you think so,  Ji Hoon sii?”  
  
Ji Hoon remained silent, unmoving. Daniel wasn’t fazed by his lack of response.  
  
“Everyone who comes here has their own problems to deal with. None of us have any relatives left to look after us. Each kid here has faced one sort of a tragedy or another, so we have to learn to stick together. Try talking with the others and maybe you’ll find that you’re really not the only person with a tragic past.”  
  
‘Have the other kids killed like I have? Have the other kids been the cause of their parent’s death?’ Ji Hoon wanted to shout these things to Daniel but he restrained himself, remaining silent.  
  
“You know… my parents were murdered before my eyes three years ago during a home robbery. We were poor and didn’t have many valuables to begin with but the burglar panicked and used his crowbar to smash my father’s head. He died instantly and my mother ran in crying, hitting the man in a fit of despair. The guy swung his crowbar again, this time lodging the sharp end into my mother’s chest. And then he fled. I, meanwhile, was hiding in my room, watching my parents die before me in horror.” He suddenly shook his head as he let out a small bitter laugh, looking down into his lap. “It took me a long time to forgive myself for not doing anything to help them, to forget the sight of their dead bodies. Sometimes I thought, ‘If only I had…’ but I could never finish the sentence. What could an eleven year-old boy do in that kind of situation?  
  
“I came here after that, probably in just as bad a state as you are in now. That was when I met Minhyun, WooJin and SungWoon. You may have seen them around. You know; the twins and the boy who always hangs with them. At first I found them annoying, but they soon grew on me, becoming the best friends I ever had.”  
  
Ji Hoon glanced at him from the corner of his eye, noting the warm smile on his face as he thought of his friends. he looked away, staring back out the window. “Touching story, Euigeon shii,” he said suddenly.  
  
Daniel suddenly looked up at Ji Hoon, a big grin erupting on his face. “You talked! and nice to meet you Ji Hoon ” It didn’t slip his notice that he had called him by Euigeon instead of  Daniel , rather than call him by his nickname.  
  
Ji Hoon took in a deep breath, his shoulders shuddering; the largest movement Daniel had seen him do yet. “I’m not mute.” he turned to look at him and their eyes finally connected with one another. “You don’t live here,” he said, stating a fact.  
  
“Yeah; I got adopted three months ago. The family I’m with is great. Mr Kim is the one who caught my parent’s murderer. I know it’s kind of stupid but I want to be a detective like him one day. I want to catch any other murderers out there and help rid the world of this evil. It’s childish, but it’s my dream.” Daniel smiled dreamily, his eyes shining with his innocent vision.  
  
Ji Hoon suddenly felt as if he was hit by a brick wall. He turned away, looking down at the wooden floor. “I guess it really is a bad thing to kill someone.” he hopped off the bench suddenly and silently walked away, leaving Daniel to sit alone by the window, guilt eating away at his conscience. It had completely slipped his mind that her mother had been sent to jail because of murder.

  
**tbc.**

 

* * *

 

 Daniel didn’t know that is was 'him' that he met at the hospital as due to some circumstances i hope that it doesn’t confuse u guys... 


	8. Chapter 8

**\- Present Day -**

* * *

 

  
Guan Lin stood just behind his father, Min Soo, who was engrossed in a conversation with one of his fellow business associates. He glanced around with a bored expression at all the distinguished guests that were gathered here for his homecoming. There were very few people who were around his age, and of those that were, most of them were either men from the Syndicate or else daughters of rich women who were aiming to have him as their future husband. Guan Lin came to the conclusion that his father’s side was the safest, even though it made his evening incredibly dull.  
  
He slipped a glance towards Jihoon who stood on the opposite side of Min Soo. A small smile crept onto his lips whenever he saw his face, thinking about how much he had changed since the first time he saw him. He was only fourteen at the time, a scrawny and dull looking boy. He was thirteen and he despised him, finding his cold demeanor and the attention his father gave him immensely annoying. It was hard to believe that the boy was the same person who was standing by his father’s side, handsomely dressed in an almost black, tuxedo, Yet he didn’t fail to notice the faint line of muscle along his arms.  
  
Min Soo and his friend suddenly let out a loud laugh at a small joke they just shared. The Syndicate leader reached out a hand to pat his friend on the back. “That was just too true. I see we think alike, Luke.”  
  
Luke continued to laugh softly, his turkey-like neck wobbling slightly with the movement. “Yes, yes; otherwise, how would we be able to conduct business with one another after all these years?”  
  
Min Soo nodded with a smile. “Only too true.” He noticed Luke’s eyes dart towards Jihoon, who had his face looking down.  
  
“You know, you’re very lucky to have such a loyal worker. I’ve never seen you go anywhere without Park Jihoon by your side.” He leaned forwards to whisper quietly at Min Soo with a small smirk, “And such a charisma and handsome one too.”  
  
Min Soo smiled back at him, much colder than before. “Yes… Jihoon is a rare find indeed. Loyalty is a very hard trait to come across in a person these days. It seems as if everyone is always looking out for themselves, and if something doesn’t go their way, they’re ready to jump ship.”  
  
Luke gave somewhat of a nervous laugh as he looked away. It felt like that comment had been directed at him as a warning. He excused himself, saying he spotted someone he knew. Min Soo watched him walk off, a faint smirk on his face.  
  
“Aren’t you ever afraid of making enemies, Abuji?” said Guan Lin as he rolled his eyes, sipping his drink calmly.  
  
Min Soo chuckled as he peered at his son. “Always the hypocrite aren’t we, Guan Lin?” He then turned to stare out over the crowd. “You should know by now that men in our position will always make enemies. It is inevitable. We must show them how powerful we are without actually revealing our true strength or else we lose everything.”  
  
Guan Lin watched as his father walked off, Jihoon following obediently behind. As he was about to pass him, he suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop. Jihoon stood still, his jaw tensing as he stared down at the ground.  
  
“Do you mind if I take your ‘loyal’ servant from you for a while, Father? I could do with talking to someone I know for once,” smiled Guan Lin at his father.  
  
Min Soo pursed his lips slightly before nodding his consent. Guan Lin’s smile grew wider and he dragged Jihoon along with him towards the balcony. Min Soo watched them walk off, his expression unreadable, before he turned around and was met with some of his friends in politics.  
  
Jihoon was led towards the balcony outside, Guan Lin pausing on the way to grab a new glass of wine for Jihoon and himself. They threaded their way through the crowd, Guan Lin never letting go of his hand. Finally they emerged outside, the light from the lamps illuminating the area in a faint glow. They stood together in silence for a while, staring out over the dazzling lights of the city nightlife.  
  
Guan Lin was the first to break the silence. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Jihoon shhi?” he said quietly into the night air.  
  
Jihoon remained silent. he had not touched his drink.  
  
Guan Lin glanced down at his, taking in the charisma of his eyes hidden in the half-light of the balcony lamps.  Since he had stepped off the plane earlier that day, he couldn’t help but be captivated by him, so different from his childhood memories. But he knew full well what he was. After all, he had been there at the beginning of the harsh training which had turned his into who he was now.  
  
“How have you been?” he asked. Still, Jihoon remained silent. “I guess you’ve been well, seeing how much better you look these days.”  
  
“Do I really look that much better, Master Guan Lin?” Jihoon said quietly.  
  
Guan Lin let out a small smile as he went to hold Jihoon by the chin, turning his face up to look at him as he stroked his delicate lips with his thumb. “So much better.” He began to move his face closer to him but Jihoon suddenly turned away. Relenting, Guan Lin released his and turned away, still smiling.  
  
“But for however much you’ve changed on the outside, that coldness in you is still the same.” He took a sip of his drink, tasting it thoroughly. “I used to despise the attention my father gave you. You probably never realized it, but he often came to watch you train and whenever he saw you, his eyes would light up in an unexplainable way. I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that before, even at me, his own son.”  
  
Guan Lin turned his back to the balcony, leaning against the rail on his elbows as he looked back into the ballroom. People he didn’t know conversed with one another, enjoying a night that was meant for him. Jihoon turned to look at Guan Lin now,  He smiled at Jihoon.  
  
“It took me a couple of years living abroad to make me realize how lucky I was that my father never looked at me like that. It was rather frightening, that look. I can’t really explain it.” His eyes bore into Jihoon’s. “But I know for sure that it wasn’t love. No… it was something… different.”  
  
Jihoon turned away, slightly disturbed at hearing Guan Lin’s thoughts. “I am nothing special. Master still cares deeply for you, Master Guan Lin.”  
  
“Oh, I don’t doubt that at all. If he didn’t care for me, then maybe he might have educated me in a similar way to you. I am, after all, his successor.” He paused for a minute, swirling the liquid in his glass. “One of the early things he taught me was that men of true power left the gritty work to their underlings. But in order to command those underlings, you would have to be stronger than them, both physically and mentally.” His mouth twisted up in a bitter smile. “And so began my training.”  
  
Jihoon turned to stare at him, still swirling his glass. “You have changed, Master Guan Lin,” he said suddenly.  
  
Guan Lin’s eyebrow piqued up in mild surprise as a sly grin spread on his face. “Changed? How so, Jihoon ?”  
  
Jihoon paused as he considered the best way to say what he thought. “You have become mature.”  
  
He suddenly let out a loud laugh. “Mature, huh? Perhaps...”  
  
Silence then ensued as the two ran out of things to say to one another. Guan Lin drained the last of his glass, placing it on the rail to his right. He stood up, and as he walked past Jihoon, he took his glass out of his hand and began to drink out of it.  
  
“I forgot that you’re not allowed to drink alcohol,” he said as he walked off.  
  
Jihoon watched him go, wondering about the new change he saw in the heir to the Syndicate. Seongwoo suddenly appeared from the shadows, sipping his drink as he followed Jihoon’s gaze.  
  
“He seems more interesting than before,” he said with a smile.  
  
“You’ve been there for quite awhile.” Jihoon went over to lean on the balcony rail, looking out onto the cityscape.  
  
Seongwoo chuckled softly as he came to join him, picking up the glass Guan Lin had left behind. “Yes… You’re just as observant as always.” He lifted Guan Lin’s glass up to his eyelevel, examining it. “You’ve known all along what he just said to you, haven’t you?”  
  
A twisted smile crept onto Jihoon’s lips, as if he was mocking himself. “It’s hard not to notice.”  
  
Seongwoo nodded before he decided to change the subject. “I never found out how Min Soo took the news about you calling the police the other night. How did it blow over?”  
  
“Quickly. He was furious initially but soon forgave me. He realized that there really was no other alternative.”  
  
“Then that explains why he never called me in over the matter.” Seongwoo drained the last of his glass, bringing it back down to tap gently with Guan Lin’s, a soft chime ringing in the silent night air. “And what about jin?”  
  
Jihoon faltered slightly at the subject. Seongwoo noticed his lack of response and smiled. He let out a heavy sigh.  
  
“Just as I thought… you still haven’t told him. You can’t hide the kid forever, Jihoon ah.” He turned to look at his long and hard. “What do you intend to do with him?”  
  
Jihoon stared out into the distance, his eyes shrouded in the darkness. “Give him a better life.” With that, Jihoon turned and walked off leaving Seongwoo alone to wonder what was going through his mind.

* * *

 

 

jinyoung fidgeted uncomfortably in the black tux he was forced to wear, pulling his tuxedo uncomfortably. If it wasn’t because both Daniel and the superintendent had begged his to come in a tux, he wouldn’t be wearing the cursed thing. he scratched at his shoulder, the fabric making his itch.  
  
“Where’d Daniel go?” he muttered to himself as he looked left and right for any sign of his partner. “He said he was going to stay by my side. I am so going to give him the beating of a lifetime at our next match!”  
  
“Who are you going to give the beating of a lifetime to, Mr?” said a voice to his left.  
  
his eyes grew wide in shock as jinyoung spun on the spot to see the smiling eyes of Daehwi. ‘What is he doing here?’ he turned away immediately and began walking away,  “Please don’t let him remember me…. Please don’t let him remember me…” he whispered to himself.  
  
“You don’t have to cover your face, jinyoung shi. I happen to have quite a good memory,” said Daehwi, still standing in the same spot.

jinyoung stopped walking away, readjusting his tux so that it not out of place. he spun around, a haughty look on his face. “And so it seems,” he replied feebly.  
  
Daehwi let out a small laugh as he walked closer to jinyoung. “But I have to admit; I almost didn’t recognize you. I mean, you look… different.”  
  
jinyoung wondered whether he was trying to complement him or not. “And you are here because…?”  
  
“I think you already know who I am. Is it unusual for Mr Lee son to be present at a welcome party for the son of Korea’s most influential business man?” He smiled even more as he took another step closer to jinyoung. “No… the one who should be asking why the other is here is me.”

jinyoung began to grow flustered at how close Daehwi was standing. he took a small fumbling step backwards. “That’s… that’s none of your business. I am here because of work.”  
  
Daehwi raised an eyebrow in amusement. “You are here working?”  
  
“Yes,” nodded jinyoung. Bah, what was he saying? he was only here at guanlin party because his superintendent had threatened to suspend his without pay if he didn’t.  
  
“Care to tell me what kind of work?” he continued to ask, enjoying how unnerved he was making his.

jinyoung finally pulled himself together. he stood up straighter as he stared defiantly up at Daehwi. “I do not have to answer that. If you would excuse me, I have to go and find my partner.”  
  
Partner? Daehwi stared back at his in mild shock, feeling a faint sense of disappointment. As he watched as jinyoung walk away, it took him a couple of seconds to snap out of his daze. “What is your name?” he shouted after his.  
  
jinyoung paused on the spot, turning his head slightly to say over his shoulder, “Detective jinyoung.” he continued to walk off, disappearing into the crowd.  
  
A small smile played across his lips as he felt strangely relieved. “A detective, huh? Very interesting indeed...”

* * *

  
  
Daniel stepped out of the ballroom, casually making his way down the hallway to his left as he glanced at the large oil paintings that adorned the walls. Every now and then he would sneak glances around him in an effort to find a certain face, which he had not been able to find within the ballroom itself. He knew that he would be here, for he had spent the last few days staring at his profile in the police database, finding out that he was Minsoo closest guards. For some reason, he could not get his mind off him , feeling as if he recognized him but from what he had read their paths would never have crossed before.  
  
As he rounded the corner to his right, he entered a small lobby area, the white curtains drawn shut along the windows, obscuring the view of the city behind. Three black leather sofas were positioned around a small oval glass coffee table, their seats facing a large grand piano situated on a slightly raised platform. Daniel walked over to the sofas, falling into the seat with a small sigh. ‘Perhaps he isn’t here tonight,’ he thought. ‘It could be that he’s taking a night off or something.’ He closed his eyes, rubbing his face with his hands as he took in a large breath. What was he thinking? Why was his mind so consumed by that one man? and he's so similar like 'him' with the same name!?... He hadn’t felt this way about someone in a very long time…  
  
“Detective Euigeon?” asked a male voice suddenly, startling him from his musings.  
  
Daniel removed his hands from his face to reveal Jihoon standing nearby, peering at him with a mild look of curiosity. He suddenly leap to his feet as he smiled at Jihoon, adjusting the white suit he was wearing.  
  
“Ji hoon shi! I… didn’t expect to see you here,” he lied as he quickly tried to calm his rapidly pounding heart. Seeing him tonight, he couldn’t help but be amazed. He was stunningly handsome and charismatic in a sophisticated manner, different from the panic he had seen the other night in the hospital.  
  
A small amused smile touched Jihoon’s lips. “Nor did I.”  
  
In fact, Jihoon had been wondering whether he should have approached Daniel after entering the room looking for a quiet place to relax. It took him several minutes to recognize him, but once he had he could not resist the urge to at least say something to him. He felt that he owed him that much at least.  
  
Jihoon went over to the sofa opposite Daniel and they both sat at the same time. Adjusting his tux , Jihoon felt him studying him, just like he had on their first meeting all those years ago. He wondered whether he recognized him as that same little boy but it seemed that he didn’t. After all, who would believe that someone could return from the dead after all these years?  
  
Daniel was the first to speak when Jihoon looked up. “You never told me that you were Minsoo guards.”  
  
“I see you’ve been reading my profile,” smiled Jihoon. Daniel’s cheeks tinged slightly red in embarrassment as he averted his gaze.  
  
“I didn’t mean to intrude on your privacy,” he apologized.  
  
“You have every right to. After all, you are a police officer, Detective Euigeon.”  
  
There it was again. he had called him by his other name ''Euigeon '' on purpose, just like… 'him'.  
  
“Why do you address me ''Euigeon'' instead of Daniel?,Mr Jihoon?” he asked, peering at his suspiciously.  
  
Jihoon smiled again in that aloof manner of hiss. “Because that was the only name I saw on your ID the other night, then Daniel”  
  
“Oh.” Daniel felt somewhat disappointed at his reply but then he realized how foolish he was being. He suddenly let out a small laugh. “Then you can call me Daniel; that’s what everyone calls me, Mr Jihoon.”  
  
Jihoon bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. “Detective Euigeon,” he replied with a small mischievous smile.  
  
“You still called me by that name,” pointed out Daniel as his mouth curved in a small smile.  
  
“That is because I think it sounds better.”

* * *

  
  
**= Flashback =**  
  
“Why do you always call me ''Euigeon'' instead of Daniel , Jihoon?” asked Daniel as he glanced at Jihoon from his spot next to his on the porch of an abandoned hut.  
  
Jihoon stared off into the distance before he replied silently, “Because I think it sounds better.”  
  
**= End Flashback =**

* * *

  
  
Daniel continued to stare at Jihoon, his face blank. He then turned away, bringing himself out from his daze. It must be a coincidence, that both Jihoon and Jihoon had said the same thing to him. The thought that they could be the same person entered his mind but he immediately dismissed the foolish idea. **'he's** dead. The Jihoon who sat before him was alive, had grown up in Korea illsan only to arrive in seoul seven years ago into minsoo custody after his parents died in a car accident.  
  
“You must be a highly regarded detective if you were invited to Master Guan lin party, Detective Euigeon,” said Jihoon suddenly, cutting across Daniel’s thoughts.  
  
He peered up at Jihoon, trying to register what he had just said. “Oh… I wouldn’t say I was exactly invited but rather… um… dragged along by my superior, Superintendent . He wants me and my partner to become more acquainted with upper class society. That reminds me…” Daniel hung his head, rubbing the back of his neck with a small guilty smile. “I left him hanging all alone in there after promising that I would stay by his side. He definitely won’t forgive me for that.”  
  
Jihoon glanced down at the ground, smiling in amusement. “Then you’d better go find him.”  
  
Daniel looked up at his and their eyes connected before they both let out a soft laugh. “I guess I should.” He stood up, Jihoon following suit. “It's been nice talking to you, Jihoon.”  
  
“And you, Detective Euigeon,” replied Jihoon with a slight bow of his head. Daniel nodded with a smile and walked off, feeling his gaze on his back all the while.  
  
Jihoon watched him until he disappeared from sight before walking over to the windows, drawing back the curtain. He stared out at the view in front his before switching his focus to the reflections in the glass.  
  
“Must you eavesdrop on all my conversations, Seongwoo?” said Jihoon as he calmly closed the curtain before turning around.  
  
Seongwoo let out a little chuckle. “Actually, this time it truly was an accident. Minsoo is looking for you.”  
  
“Oh.” Jihoon strolled past Seongwoo, only to come to a halt as he grabbed his arm.  
  
“ **that Jihoon is dead. Make sure it stays that way.** ” Seongwoo squeezed his arm firmly before releasing him.  
  
Jihoon stared back up at Seongwoo, his eyes hard. “ **No one can return from the dead.** ”

* * *

**TBC.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so Guan Lin finally steps into the picture. How do you like his character? A little eccentric, perhaps? Haha, Daniel and Ji hoon met again. So now you may kind of know why he didn't tell him his name before and why daniel doesn't recognise him, even though he continues to tease him by reminding him of jihoon, perhaps a little sadistically. And you'll also know why I said seongwoo likes to pop out of nowhere in my last footnote =)
> 
>  
> 
> Next Chapter: The final part of this night. How will it end?
> 
> Once again, tell me how's is this story be it good or bad in the comment alright, Thanks guys!


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

  
Jihoon returned to the ballroom, finding Minsoo in the centre of the room with Guanlin once more by his side. He was conversing with a rather tall man in a black suit, who seemed to be in his mid forties. His hair was cropped short and he stood with one hand in his pocket, the other holding a wine glass in between his fingers. As Jihoon approached, Minsoo sent him a dangerous glare before returning to continue talking with his guest. The exchange went unnoticed.  
  
He bowed at Minsoo once he had reached his side. “Please forgive me, Master. I became preoccupied with checking that the night was progressing smoothly that I forgot to return to your side.”  
  
Minsoo waved off his apology. “Whatever. Now that you are here, I would like to introduce you to Superintendent Mark, head of the Special Investigations Unit. Mark; this is Park Jihoon, my personal guards.”  
  
Mark and Jihoon exchanged a bow of their heads in greeting. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr Jihoon.”  
  
“My pleasure as well, Superintendent Mark.” He peered at him with a cold indifference and smiling gently, all the while sizing him up. Minsoo would require him to give an assessment of him later.  
  
“Now, we were speaking of a rather tough case that your unit has been struggling on for a couple of years, weren’t we?” continued Minsoo.  
  
Mark smiled. “Ah yes, but I don’t wish to bore your personal guard with such terrifying tales of murder.”  
  
Jihoon smiled up at Mark. “Please do not mind me; I am fine with such tales.”  
  
“Very well,” nodded Mark. Turning back to Minsoo he said, “What I am about to tell you is somewhat classified, but I believe it is in your best interests to know. We have been mystified by a series of killings that have been happening for several years, killings we have every right to believe are assassinations. This assassin tends to prefer using bladed weapons to kill their targets, sometimes making the cuts so carefully that it would take the victim some time to die. A rather frightening entity, wouldn’t you say?”  
  
“Yes… frightening indeed,” said Guanlin in an off-handed manner as he gazed away with a bored expression.  
  
“After some time, the only piece of information we were able to ever gather was that this one assassin went by the alias, ‘Apollyon’. And that is what we have named the cursed case.” Mark took a sip from his drink as he observed their reactions to his tale.  
  
Jihoon had his eyes downcast, his face as expressionless as always. Guanlin stifled a small yawn as he continued to stare at nothing in particular. Minsoo nodded his head, a somewhat troubled expression on his face as he stroked his chin.  
  
“That is really an unsettling tale. I am troubled that such a fiend has been able to escape the clutches of justice for so many years. I wish I could do something to help.” He suddenly looked up, his face brightening as an idea came to mind. “I hear that your department has been lacking in funds for some time. Perhaps I could help alleviate your troubles in that area?”  
  
Mark let out an uncomfortable laugh as he shook his hand to wave off Minsoo’s generosity. “Oh no, I cannot do such a thing. I thank you for your thoughtfulness, but while it may seem to you as an innocent gesture, to otherwise it will look like a bribe. We cannot afford to tarnish both our reputations with corruption allegations, now can we?”  
  
Minsoo joined in with Mark’s laughter. “That completely slipped my mind, Superintendent. A mind as sharp as yours is truly fit to run the SIU.” The laughter died down and Minsoo looked at Mark seriously. “But remember, Superintendent; you have my full support in this case. I wish you luck with capturing the culprit.”  
  
Mark bowed deeply. “Thank you, But the actual task of capturing 'Appolyon' is not mine but Detective Kang Daniel. He is the lead detective and I believe he is finally making his way over to me with his partner, Detective Bae Jinyoung.”  
  
The three of them followed Mark’s gaze, their eyes taking in every detail of two detective’s images. Daniel smiled at Jihoon, but He did not return the gesture. Guanlin noticed the smile and turned to peer down at Jihoon, a mild look of curiosity in his eyes before he turned away. The pair came to stand beside Mark, polite smiles on their faces. Daniel continued to sneak glances at Jihoon but was disappointed when he kept his eyes downcast.  
  
Mark turned to address Minsoo, his face beaming as he presented his two proudest detectives. , ‘’may I introduce you to Detective Kang Daniel and his partner, Detective Bae Jiyong., Daniel; this is Minsoo, his son Guanlin and his guards, Jihoon.”  
  
They all exchanged their greetings and Minsoo was the first to speak. “As I was saying to your superior, your team has my full support in trying to capture this ‘Apollyon’ character. A creature as vile as that does not deserve to exist.”  
  
Daniel smiled, as he stared at Minsoo confidently. “I must thank you greatly for your faith in our abilities to capture this assassin. We are honored and will do our best.”  
  
Minsoo returned Daniel’s gaze smiling, his eyes masking his true thoughts. Deep down Minsoo felt that this boy would soon become a nuisance. But for the meantime, he decided that he will let him live.  
  
“Am I interrupting something?” asked an enthusiastic voice to their right all of a sudden. The group turned to see standing these with a small grin on his face, Daehwi standing just behind. As Daehwi noticed Jinyoung’s presence, he raised his glass a little in greeting. Jinyoung felt the urge to poke his tongue out at him but he managed to refrain from doing so.  
  
Jisung took a step forwards to the crowd, turning to look at everyone in turn before finally resting his gaze on Minsoo. “Mr Park Minsoo… My, it really is an honour to meet you at last. You are the legend among legends in the corporate world. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Yoon Jisung, CEO of Yoon Distributions. A small company compared to your multibillion dollar empire, Mr Park.”  
  
Minsoo glared at Jisung, his hand tightening around his glass slightly. Jisung noticed the tiny movement and smiled inwardly. ‘So the old bastard knows.’  
  
He then turned to indicate his friend. “Oh, I must introduce my dear friend  Lee Daehwi, son of Senator Lee. But I am sure you are all well acquainted anyway.”  
  
“We have met on several occasions,” said Daehwi with a small smile.  
  
“Yes… we have…” said Minsoo, gazing at Jisung suspiciously. He knew the boy would have already realized that he knew who he truly was. There had to be some motive behind his sudden appearance before him tonight.  
  
Jisung now turned away from Minsoo to look at Mark. “Superintendent Mark. It truly is a pleasure meeting you here again.” He held out a hand which Mark shook firmly.  
  
“Yes, yes… a pleasure indeed. My department can never be more grateful for your help with a major drug deal bust the other day. Because of you, we were able to do great damage to one of The Five. I’m sure it would be some time before  we will be willing to move again,” said Mark with an enthusiastic grin.  
  
Minsoo stared at Jisung, his rage barely kept in check. He had heard from his men’s last night about it but they had been unable to figure out how the information was leaked. ‘So it was this conniving little upstart who caused it all.’  
  
Jisung grinned modestly, looking away. “You praise me too highly, Superintendent. I was only doing my duty as an honest citizen.” He peered up at Minsoo, his grin appearing innocent to all except Minsoo and Jihoon.  
  
“Well, I must not intrude further. I bid you all a good night and welcome back to Korea, Guanlin.” He held out his hand for Guanlin to shake, which Guanlin glanced at first before shaking it uncaringly. Jisung left and Daehwi followed, but not before exchanging his pleasantries with the two.  
  
Jihoon watched Jisung and Daehwi walk off, feeling somewhat troubled. He glanced up at Minsoo, noticing the ever familiar tensing of his jaw line that indicated his suppressed rage. He sighed inwardly as He turned away.  
  
‘War has been declared.

* * *

 

**tbc.**


	10. Chapter 10

 

**\- Seven a Half Years Ago -**

* * *

  
Minhyun and the twins were outside, playing a game of soccer against several of the other children in the orphanage. The ball rapidly passed from one player to the other as they headed towards one of the makeshift goals created by pairs of chairs, thrilled grins on their faces. Woojin came into possession of the ball and he managed to kick it through the goal, just as he narrowly dodged a tackle.  
  
“Yeahhhhhhhhh! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah!” Woojin cheered as he ran around the pitch. “The Soccer King is in Da House! Did you guys see that! Huh? Huh?”  
  
A hand suddenly connected with the back of his head as Sungwoon ran past. “Shut up, you idiot! The ball’s almost reached our end of the field!”  
  
Woojin pulled himself together and was about to run over to where the action was when he spotted Daniel emerging from the back of the orphanage. A huge smile erupted on his face as he ran over waving.  
  
“Daniel hyung! When did you get back?” he shouted as he came up next to Daniel. “How was gangnam-do?”  
  
“Good.” Daniel continued to glance around, as if searching for something. “Ya, Woojin; have you seen Ji hoonie around?” he asked absently, still staring off into the distance.  
  
“Jihoonie?” repeated Woojin with surprise. He rolled his eyes as he turned away, putting his hands on his hips. “You’re always looking for Jihoon. You’ve been gone for over a month and the first thing you ask about is ‘Jihoon Jihoon Jihoon.”  
  
Daniel glared at Woojin from the corner of his eye. Minhyun and Sungwoon finally made their way over, having just noticed that Woojin had disappeared. They arrived, breathing heavily from their exercise.  
  
“Ya, Daniel! Long time no see!” greeted Minhyun as he held a hand up to high five Daniel. Daniel ignored the hand.  
  
“Have you guys seen Jihoon around?” he asked again. He was beginning to grow slightly agitated. “he’s not in his usual spot.”  
  
The three exchanged a glance with one another before turning back to look at Daniel. “You’ve become weird ever since you started talking with that dude. You hardly hang around us anymore,” complained Sungwoon with a frown.  
  
Daniel now turned to look at each of his friend’s face one at a time, realizing how much he was ignoring them. His mind had been so preoccupied with Jihoon that he had completely forgotten about his close friends. He looked away guiltily, ashamed of his actions. “Sorry guys… I guess I kind of forgot myself.”  
  
Minhyun nodded his head in acceptance, coming in to pat Daniel on the shoulder. “That’s alright,” He then smiled brightly as he turned to look at the twins. “After all, you’ve just come back from a trip to Gangnam-do with Jaehwan , right?”  
  
The twins glanced at one another, their arms crossed over their chests. They were still annoyed that the first person Daniel had asked about was Jihoon rather than them. What was so special about that freaky dude anyway?  
  
As the twins continued to brood in silence, Minhyun was the first one to break it. “Hey, why don’t we go find somewhere to sit? I’m exhausted from the game just now. Come on, come on!”  
  
He ushered them towards a spot nearby under a large tree and the four of them sat on the grass, Daniel leaning against the trunk. Daniel glanced at the twins who still had their arms crossed over their chests and sighed inwardly. It was just like those two to get jealous so easily. A small mischievous smile suddenly crept on his face as an idea came into his head. As the twins weren’t looking at him, Daniel was able to easily move into position where he gave the pair a little shove with his foot.  
  
Woojin glared up at him, rubbing the spot Daniel had kicked. “What was that for, Daniel?” he snapped.  
  
“To knock some sense into you two,” snapped Daniel as he returned to his spot on one of the large roots. “Jeez, you two are acting like jealous brat.”  
  
Sungwoon stood up, pointing a finger at Daniel indignantly. “YAAA! We’re not jealous! Just… annoyed.” He turned away, pouting. “You’ve been practically ignoring us for the past couple of months. It’s always ‘Jihoon this’ or ‘Jihoon that’. What’s so special about that freak? he still doesn’t talk with anyone but you!”  
  
Daniel turned away, his brow creased as he thought about what Sungwoon was saying. “I said I was sorry. And I don’t know why, but… I don’t know. He just interests me, I guess.”  
  
Woojin now crawled towards him on all fours, peering up into his face curiously. Daniel leaned back from his looming face. “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for him, Daniel hyung?.”  
  
Daniel’s eyes widened in shock as he turned away, flustered. “That’s just plain stupid, Woojin. I’m only 15 for crying out loud. And he’s 13. We’re still kids. There’s no way I could be… whatever it is you’re trying to say.”  
  
Sungwoon, upon seeing Daniel’s reaction, ran in to crouch on his other side, an evil grin plastered on his face. “Oh my god…! You really have fallen for him! This is just too good to be true! Ha! Our hyung has fallen in love! L-O-V-E, love!” The twins rolled over in a fit of giggles as they continued to tease Daniel.  
  
He stared at them, beet red. How dare they humiliate him like that! Daniel jumped on the both of them, locking them into a headlock each. “Shut up, you guys! If you say another word then I swear I won’t give you two the souvenirs I bought for you!”  
  
After a couple of minutes, Daniel finally released them, their giggles somewhat subdued. He continued to glare at them as they stared back at him, their eyes still dancing with laughter.  
  
Minhyun decided to wave his hands in the air, calling an end to the teasing as he grinned widely. “Alright, that’s enough you two; leave Daniel in peace.” He now turned to look at Daniel, who continued to avert his gaze angrily. “YAA, hyung; you wanted to know where Jihoon was at, right?”  
  
Daniel promptly swung his head around, all ears. “Where is he?” He decided to ignore the jeers the twins were giving him.  
  
“We don’t know,” replied Minhyun.  
  
“What do you mean, ‘we don’t know’?” snapped Daniel as his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.  
  
Sungwoon decided to sit up straight as he answered Daniel. “What Minhyun means is, that Jihoon likes to disappear to who knows where.”  
  
Woojin also sat up straight, sidling over to his brother’s side. “Both day and night. he seems to have developed this habit of sneaking out of the orphanage. The Sisters have caught him several times and disciplined him over the matter but he still runs off anyway. They’ve given up all hope on him.”  
  
“What? Why is he doing that?” Daniel stared them but they all shrugged. He turned away, pondering over the situation. Why would Jihoon sneak away? Over the past few months he had not sensed anything that indicated Jihoon wanted to leave. Sure, their conversations had been pretty one-sided with him doing all the talking most of the time but he had thought his content and rather too withdrawn to do anything like this.  
  
Woojin shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. He’s a little loony, I’d say. I don’t know what you see in him, hyung.”  
  
Daniel shoved his foot at Woojin again. “Shut up, Woojin! It’s not like that at all!”

  
Jihoon wandered through the streets aimlessly, peering around him with a mild curiosity at the crowd surrounding him. No one seemed to notice the guy in their midst, all hurrying along with their own business. A man bumped into Jihoon, not even noticing that he had as he continued to converse on his mobile without a care, shouting something about stocks. He continued to stare after the man, his gaze expressionless. To his left he spotted a mother and son seated on a bench together, sharing an ice-cream. A bitter feeling rose in Jihoon’s heart as he watched the scene before his, feeling angry at his own fate. he turned away from the torturous sight, storming off. Tears burned at the corner of his eyes, threatening to fall.  
  
‘No… no… I will not cry. I will cry no more,’ thought Jihoon defiantly as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his arm.  
  
Suddenly, Jihoon collided into a person, falling to the ground. He peered up at the large woman wearing a pink suit who glared back at him, scoffing at the sight of Jihoon. “Filthy rodent,” sneered the lady. “Watch where you’re walking next time.”  
  
The lady strolled off, a man who appeared to be his servant hurrying along behind him with his arms full of shopping bags from designer boutiques. Jihoon watched him walk off, feeling contempt at the lady for insulting him. As he was about to pull himself up off the ground, his hand suddenly connected with a white purse. Curious, Jihoon picked up the wallet, opening it to find a bunch of credit cards, a professional photo of the lady pouting at the camera (which Jihoon almost burst out laughing at) and roughly KRW$10,000,0. Jihoon’s eyes grew wide as he saw the large sum and he fingered through it once more to make sure that he had counted right.  
  
Rushing to his feet, Jihoon was about to run after the woman when a thought occurred to him. Why should he return the purse? The woman obviously had more than enough money if she was carrying that much around on its own. And besides, the pompous lady had called him a ‘filthy rodent’. Gripping the wallet tightly, Jihoon ran in the opposite direction, smiling snidely as he made his way as far away as possible from the place.  
  
After ten minutes of running away, Jihoon came to a stop outside a large department store, trying to catch his breath as he searched behind his for any sign that he might have been followed. he made his way over to a bench where he promptly fell onto it, closing his eyes as his breath finally slowed. He peered down at the wallet, his earlier exhilaration at having stolen it now gone. Jihoon looked at the wallet with an empty feeling, opening it up to see the rich lady’s face stare back out at him. Glaring at the photo, Jihoon removed it from the wallet and tore it up, trying to ease the feeling of guilt. He removed all the credit cards from the wallet, dumping them into the trash can beside him. Jihoon didn’t know how to use those things so he had no use for them. Now he opened the wallet to stare at the cash, wondering what to do with it. There had never been anything Jihoon had wanted, apart from freedom from his stepfather’s abuse and to live with his mother in peace. He may have received his first wish but the second one would never be.  
  
Jihoon closed the wallet and stood up, feeling depressed. What would his mother think of him now? How would she react if he knew that Jihoon had stolen? Jihoon’s hands went to his head as he tried to shake the guilty thoughts from his mind. ‘she would look down on you with pity. she would feel ashamed that you are his son, that she sacrificed herself for your future. she wanted you to continue living a normal life. A happy one.’  
  
“No!” shouted Jihoon suddenly and several people glanced at him with a worried expression. “No… How can my life be happy without you, Mother?” he said more quietly and those tears he had chased away earlier now returned, treacherously burning their trails on his cheeks. he wiped them away, a hard look now entering his eyes. “I said I won’t cry anymore and I mean it.”  
  
Jihoon peered around his and spotted the doors to the department store. he headed towards them. “Money… money is meant to be spent. I’ll spend all this money, right now.”  
  
The department store was large and spacious, spanning two stories. People hurried around him, admiring the goods the stores had on display. Jihoon made his way over to a shoe shop, scanning the dozens of shoe adorning the shoe. he picked out several of the most expensive pairs, carrying them over to the counter with a stern look on his face. The clerk raised an eyebrow at him but nonetheless proceeded to scan the barcodes. His eyebrows went up even further when Jihoon was able to pay the KRW $2,000,0 in cash and he began to grow suspicious.  
  
“You didn’t steal all that money, did you kid?” she asked as he took the money warily.  
  
Jihoon glared at the woman. “No; I just happened to save up a lot of money.”  
  
The clerk nodded her head as she accepted Jihoon’s answer. Seconds later, Jihoon exited the shop and proceeded towards an electronics shop when he passed a small pet shop. Jihoon retraced his steps and stood outside the window, peering in through the glass at the puppies frolicking on the newspaper. He gazed further into the shop and noted the various other animals that lined the cages along the walls. However, what caught his eye the most was a rather Yellow cat that sat perched in a cage next to the counter, its brownish eyes blinking occasionally. He made his way into the shop, walking towards the cage with his eyes transfixed. The man at the counter noticed his gaze and smiled.  
  
“I see Rooney here has caught your eye, kids,” said the man, making Jihoon jump on the spot.  
  
“Rooney?” repeated Jihoon as he looked at the man before turning to look back at the cat.  
  
The man nodded as he smiled sadly. “He’s an  russian cat but his last master kept abusing him so now he’s afraid of humans. However, that owner now has one nasty scar on his nose from where Rooney scratched him.”  
  
Jihoon nodded absently as he continued to stare at the cats. The cats and Jihoon seemed to have shared a similar fate of abuse and he felt a kind of connection for the creature. A sudden idea came to his mind. “How much is he?”  
  
The man looked at Jihoon in surprise. “How much is he? He’s not for sale, boy. I can’t sell a cats that will harm people, especially to a little boy like you.”  
  
“Then why keep him in the shop?” asked Jihoon, somewhat annoyed that he was refused.  
  
“Because I feel sorry for the thing. No how matter twisted it has become, it still deserves to live.” He then pointed to some of the other cats and dogs in the cages behind. “Perhaps you’d like a different cats, one that isn’t so damaged?”  
  
Jihoon glanced at the other cats then returned his gaze to Rooney. “No. I want him. I’m willing to pay as much as you want.”  
  
The man looked at Jihoon long and hard, noting the determined look in his eyes. He let out a sigh as he relented. “Fine, I’ll sell you the cat if you truly insist. But you can’t say I didn’t warn you.” He took the cage Rooney was sitting in, carrying it over to the counter. He then went to grab two bags of cats food and a spray to ward off lice. “I’ll throw these things in too for free, as well as the cage. Altogether that will be KRW $5000.”  
  
Jihoon paid the man and continued to listen as he told his how to take care of the cat. After he was done, Jihoon thanked him promptly and left, carrying the cage next to him as carefully as possible. As he exited the department store he realized how hard it was to carry all the bags of shoes along with the cage and supplies. He decided to throw the shoes away, having no use for such items beside he's okay with his shoes now.  
  
With the cage and supplies in hand, Jihoon was now faced with another predicament – where to keep Rooney. The orphanage would definitely not allow him to keep the cat. He wracked his brain furiously, trying to come up with a place to hide the cat. Then he remembered; the hut in the mountains behind the orphanage. The Gangsan orphanage was situated at the base of the nansam Mountains in the nansam district. A week ago, Jihoon had climbed the mountain in boredom, trekking through the dense foliage off the main path where he stumbled upon an empty hut in the middle of an overgrown clearing. He had searched the dwelling for any sign of life but the only living thing he happened across in there were spiders. It had taken his most of the week to make the place habitable and to bring some of his important possessions to hide up there. He was sure no one would ever find the building and as such, the hut he had brought along with him would be safe.  
  
he made his way there now, carrying Rooney along in his cage. The way was made difficult this time as he had the added burden of carrying the cage but Jihoon persevered, eventually making his way up there. The hut loomed before him, the pale glow of the setting sun bathing the clearing in warm tones. Jihoon climbed up the stairs to the porch, placing the cat down as he opened the door. He placed the supplies inside before returning to pick up the cage. Jihoon raised it up to eyelevel, peering at the cat which had remained silent throughout the entire journey.  
  
“I’m just like you, Rooney… someone who has nothing but bad luck in their life. Perhaps we could change that.” he poked his finger through the wires of the cage, trying to stroke the cats silky furr only to pull it back as he scratched it. “Ouch! That really is one sharp nails,” commented Jihoon as he took the cage into the hut.  
  
“But no matter how many times you try to scratch me, I won’t get angry. I understand what it’s like.” he came to fill the cat dispenser and water before heading towards the door. “I have to get back to the orphanage now. After all, it is a home of sorts. I’ll come over tomorrow.” With that, Jihoon closed the door behind his, leaving the cat alone in the darkness as it purred purr head from side to side. After some time, Rooney sidled over on his bar towards the food dispenser, picking up a large cat food purring away.

* * *

 

**\- Seven Years and Four Months Ago -**

* * *

  
“So… Jihoon is still sneaking out, huh?” asked Daniel in an off-handed manner as he looked up from the cards in his hand at his friends. They all exchanged a small knowing smile with one another Minhyun before looking at his.  
  
“What?” he snapped, a little annoyed that they were looking at his as if they sympathized with his predicament.  
  
“Nothing in particular…” said Minhyun as he returned to look at his cards. “I just wouldn’t call it ‘sneaking out’ anymore. It’s more like, ‘walking out’. No one bothers to try and stop him anymore.”  
  
“But why?” asked Daniel, surprised. “The Sisters have never let any bad behavior go unnoticed before. They have to be the strictest people I’ve ever come across.”  
  
Seungwoon shrugged his shoulders as he put down his card on the middle pile. “I guess Jihoon’s the exception. He seems to be in an okay mood lately and it’s a little nicer here when he isn’t around.”  
  
Woojin nodded his agreement. “Seungwoon’s right; you don’t know how gloomy it got when he always stayed in the orphanage. We couldn’t step into the library without shivers running down our backs; playing outside was uncomfortable with him staring out the window at us; and meals were always bland when we had to see at that depressed face all the time. I’m kind of glad he goes out of the orphanage.”  
  
The twins nodded their agreement and Daniel glared at them contemptuously. “Then you guys don’t understand him at all.”  
  
Seungwoon rolled his eyes. “Right… That’s probably because our parents were never touched by murder and yours were. Okay; now can we get back to our game of ‘Thirteen’?”  
  
Daniel angrily looked down at his cards as he placed the next one on the pile. They would never understand what it’s like to see someone die before their eyes. All the blood and the lifeless eyes… Only Jihoon would understand. Although he had to admit that it was probably harder on him as he had seen his own mother kill someone before his eyes. He never talked about it to him but he knew that it must be so much more painful. Jihoon gave off the appearance that he was strong and aloof but deep down he could tell that he was a frightened little boy who yearned for someone to comfort him.  
  
Hands suddenly covered Daniel’s eyes as he was about to pick another card from his hand. The fingers were warm and familiar to the touch, and he couldn’t help but smile a little. He heard a tiny stifled giggle as he tried to pry the hands away.  
  
“I know it’s you, Jaehwan. Do you want something?” he asked as Jaehwan finally pulled his hands away with a big grin on his face.  
  
He hopped around to sit on the floor next to Daniel. “I was growing bored watching you guys play cards all day. Don’t you do anything more interesting around here?”  
  
“Nope. This is about as interesting as it gets,” replied Daniel as he finally placed his card on the pile.  
  
Jaehwan frowned. “Then why do you come here so often? Why don’t you invite them over to our house instead? We have plenty of room at home for all four of you. Then maybe we could play with the new Playstation our Dad got for us.”  
  
“You have a Playstation? Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” shouted the twins as they stood up on their knees, messing up the game.  
  
“That’s because I know you guys will mess up the place. Besides,” said Daniel as he looked off elsewhere. “I… I want to…” He then looked back at his friends with a guilty expression. “I, er… can’t exactly invite my friends over so soon after being adopted , right?”  
  
The twins peered at him with a suspicious glare. “You were about to say that you wanted to see Jihoon, weren’t you?”  
  
“I was not!” retorted Daniel indignantly.  
  
Jaehwan peered up at Daniel, a curious look on his face. “Who’s this Jihoon you keep talking about, Hyung?”  
  
Woojin was the one who answered for Daniel, deciding to give his friend a little break. “Jihoon is a boy who came to this orphanage around seven months ago. Daniel hyung was the only one who was able to stand his cold looks and silence and so he’s somewhat close to him. His mother murdered his stepfather and then she was killed in prison, just before Jihoon was transferred here.”  
  
Jaehwan looked down at the ground, his eyes full of sympathy. “What a sad story… I feel so sorry for him.” He then looked up at Daniel with a smile. “No wonder you’re so worried about him, hyung. You feel sorry for him too.” He suddenly threw his arms around Daniel, hugging him. “Hyung is such a nice person!”  
  
The twins glanced at one another trying to hold back their laughter. Seungwoon suddenly leapt into his brother’s arms, bringing him in for a hug. “Hyung is such a nice person!” he cried as they both hugged each other tightly.  
  
“Shut up!” snapped Daniel as he threw his shoe at the pair. They dodged it and continued to laugh as Minhyun joined them. Jaehwan blushed as he realized what he had done and immediately released Daniel. Daniel, meanwhile, was looking away with a small scowl on his face and he did not notice the way Jaehwan looked up at him with admiration. But the look on his face did not go unnoticed by Minhyun.

  
Daniel stood posted outside the orphanage early the next morning, watching the front entrance carefully. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was only 7:35 AM. Although it was still early, Woojin had insisted that Jihoon left the orphanage at around this time everyday. Sure enough, Jihoon suddenly appeared at the entrance, closing the door carefully behind him as he made his way down the front steps. Daniel quickly went to hide behind the trash can, peering out from behind to see him walk off in the opposite direction towards the mountains. He then began to tail him, careful not to let his presence be known.  
  
He followed, wondering where he could be headed. After not being able to catch him at the orphanage since he had come back from gangnam-do three months ago, Daniel had come to the decision that he was going to follow him and find out why he was always going out. That and also the fact that he just wanted to see him again. It surprised him how much he had missed their talks, even if it was only him talking.  
  
The Nansa Mountains loomed before them and Daniel began to wonder why Jihoon would be here. He continued to follow him closely and became even more surprised when he saw him disappear off the trail and into the forest. He ran up to the edge of the trees and watched him weave his way along an unseen path. Taking a deep breath, he followed him in, determined in his mission to find out what Jihoon was up to.  
  
The vegetation grew dense around them but Daniel soon saw that there was a faint little path that wound through the trees, created by Jihoon as he made his way along it every day. Branches scraped his sleeveless arms as he had only worn a t-shirt. The leaves underfoot crunched loudly and Daniel had to tread extra carefully so as not to alert Jihoon to his presence. Before long, Daniel spotted the edge of a clearing ahead and the outline of a building. He waited for Jihoon to enter the clearing before he made his way over to the trunk of a large tree, crouching behind its wide base as peered around it.  
  
A small hut stood in the middle of the clearing and Daniel saw Jihoon make his way up the steps and into the dwelling. He soon emerged with a cage, which he carried over to the edge of the porch and sat down with. His eyes then grew wide as he saw Jihoon remove a handsome looking cat from the cage, which walk obediently onto his side. A smile touched his lips as he watched his stroke the cat yellow furr, a serene look on his face.  
  
He began to grow uncomfortable crouching on the spot and so he shifted his weight a little, only to step on a twig with a loud snap. Jihoon turned his head at the sound and the cat suddenly let out a loud meow as it make sit way, running its way over to where Daniel was hiding. Realizing that this was not a good sign, Daniel stood up on the spot just as the cat began scratching him. He raised his legs up, stumbling out from his hiding spot.  
  
“Ah! Stop it, cats! I don’t mean you any harm!” shouted Daniel in a panicked voice as he tried to sway the cats away.  
  
Jihoon stared at him, feeling angry that Daniel had managed to follow him all the way to his safe hideout. He let the cat continue to attack him as he took a couple steps forward, before calling him off. “rooney, come here.” rooney left Daniel and walk back to Jihoon side as he purr softly.  
  
Daniel glared at the cat first, and then turned to glare at Jihoon. “Why didn’t you call him off sooner? Any longer and I wouldn’t have stumble for sure!”  
  
Jihoon continued to glare at him, before turning away to return rooney to his cage. “Who gave you the right to follow me here, anyway?”  
  
At that, Daniel suddenly felt ashamed and he looked away. “I… er…” He struggled to come up with an excuse but found none. Sighing, he told him the truth. “I just missed you so I followed you, that’s all,” he said quietly.  
  
Jihoon turned to look at Daniel, somewhat surprised. He missed him? Why would he miss someone like him, who hardly ever said a word to him?  
  
Daniel peeked at his from the corner of his eyes, quickly looking away again as he saw his stare at his coldly. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so forward. He then began walking over to his side, kicking up the sand a little as he made his way over. “I haven’t seen you since I went to gangnam do three months ago.” He suddenly reached into his pocket, pulling out a necklace. “H-here… I got this for you there.i've one too the same as you ” As He shoved the gift towards him.  
  
Jihoon eyed the thing warily, glancing between the necklace and Daniel, who was still looking away. He then took it slowly, looking at it closely. It was a necklace, a silver sterling  & a pendant with blue sapphire wrap Around.Jihoon couldn’t help but smile a little. It was the first time anyone besides his mother had given him a gift.

 

****

 

 

Seeing that Jihoon had remained quiet for some time now, Daniel chanced a glance. He felt his heart soar as he saw the little smile touch Jihoon’s lips, a sincere happiness in his eyes. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen you smile, Jihoonie,” he grinned, taking a step closer.  
  
Jihoon suddenly pulled himself together, the smile on his face disappearing as he returned to glare at Daniel. “This still doesn’t mean that I forgive you for following me.” He turned around and picked up rooney’s cage, walking around Daniel to proceed up the stairs. “When I come back out in five minutes, I hope I won’t see your face here anymore.” The door slammed shut behind him and Daniel frowned.  
  
“Who does he think he’s kidding? Like that kind of threat is going to make me walk off.” He turned to glance around at the clearing, taking it in properly for the first time. ‘It actually is quite nice up here,’ he thought with a smile.  
  
Jihoon glanced out through the window of the hut, scowling a little as he saw that Daniel was still standing outside. He turned away from the window, annoyed. His only retreat was now found out. Jihoon was about to throw the necklace in his hand to the ground but he stopped himself in time. He loosened his hand a little to peer at the peculiar pendant, a small warm feeling in his heart. To think that he had gone out of his way to buy him such a thing…  
  
He closed his fist around it once more, walking over to retrieve the silver tin he had brought with him from that night. Opening it, he placed the necklace within. His eyes drifted over to the other objects in the box and his heart wrenched with sorrow. Among the objects was a small ceramic bird water whistle his mother had bought, a small rabbit keychain his mother had stitched for him when he was a baby and the one photo he had of him and his mother. Cash also sat in the box, the coins he had saved up over the years from not buying any snacks. He had not once touched the money, for it was the money which he had wanted to give his mother. Jihoon suddenly closed the lid. It was full of painful memories, but now he had one happy one to add to it. He stood up and walked over to the door, opening it.  
  
Daniel turned at the sound, glancing at his watch. “It hasn’t been five minutes yet, Jihoonie.”  
  
Jihoon continued to glare at him. “You can stay but promise me one thing: never tell anyone about this place.” He waited for his answer, watching him intensely.  
  
A huge grin erupted on Daniel’s face as he bounded over to the hut. “I swear I’ll never tell a soul,” he replied, now climbing the stairs. As he was about to reach the door, Jihoon closed it in his face.  
  
“However, you can only stay on the porch. Inside the hut is off limits,” said Jihoon from behind the door.  
  
Daniel let out a little laugh as he then turned his back to lean against the door. “Great,” he said as he slid to the ground. “And here I thought you’d invite me inside.” Daniel then began to tell Jihoon of his trip to gangnam do and everything else that he had wanted to say to his since they last met. Jihoon listened to him silently from the other side of the door, feeding rooney pieces of  cats food with a small smile.

   

 

* * *

**tbc.**  
  
 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if anyone know Rooney is Daniel real cat name & about the necklace it's what jihoon & daniel been wearing it during their concert they've the same necklace , HAHA anw i'm on a week long break, meaning i can update this more frequently, i hope u guys are still reading it


	11. Chapter 11

**\- Present Day -**

* * *

 

  
The teahouse Jihoon had chosen was quiet and reserved, sporting a spectacular view of a tea farm with the trees creating a terrace along the slope. Minsoo drank absently from his cup, savoring the mild bitter taste of correctly brewed tea. He was seated in a private booth at a low wooden table that looked out over the hills. There was no glass in the window so the cool mountain air washed over him, a kind of natural air conditioner. The door to his right suddenly opened and a man in his late fifties entered, snapping a fan shut. He was an impressive looking man, dressed in a plain red and black yakuta.  
  
Minsoo smiled at the visitor, raising his cup in greeting. “Greetings, Dongho. It has been a while.”  
  
Dongho smiled back at Minsoo, his manner reserved. “Greetings, Minsoo. It surely has been some time since our last… meeting,” he said as he sat in the seat opposite.  
  
“Indeed,” said Minsoo as he emptied his cup and proceeded to refill it, also filling Dongho’s. He thought back to their last meeting, just over a year ago, when he had helped the gang leader out of a nasty fix with the law. Dongho hadn’t been too happy about the Syndicate’s help then, but he had grudgingly accepted it. In fact, Dongho didn’t like anyone meddling in his affairs, whether it was to help him or not. He and his gang preferred to keep to themselves and they thrived on a number of underground activities, namely the collection protection money and drugs.  
  
Dongho peered around the room, even though it was obvious that it was empty. “I see that secretary of yours isn’t with you today. Isn’t that a little… unusual?” he asked, his voice still retaining.  
  
Minsoo let out a little laugh. “Quite a few people have been saying that to me today. I suppose people have the image of Jihoon always being by my side engraved into their minds.” He took another sip of his drink, staring back out through the window. “He has taken the week off. I realized he has never taken a break and a person can only work so much.”  
  
Dongho nodded his head as he took a sip from his cup. “So it seems.” He also turned to stare out the window and silence fell into the room. After a few minutes, Dongho was the first to break it. “I presume the leader of the Syndicate didn’t call me out to simply share some pleasantries over a pot of tea?” He turned to look at Minsoo, placing his cup back onto the table softly.  
  
“I guess you know me too well,” Minsoo replied with a small smile. He turned to look at Dongho. “I assume you have heard of the demise of the previous Group’s leader? A sad event, I must say. We will all miss him dearly.”  
  
Dongho continued to stare at Minsoo, his half-full cup still steaming on the table. “Yes… we will miss him indeed.”  
  
“Then have you heard of the Group’s new leader? Apparently he calls himself the ‘Dragon’ and is a relative of kim myungsoo. Imagine that? kim myungsoo has a relative, and here we all thought he was without family.” Minsoo sipped from his cup, gazing downwards. Dongho peered at him, trying to fathom out his motives.  
  
“I suppose you want to know if I have met this ‘Dragon’?” asked Dongho with a frown. “The answer is: no.”  
  
Minsoo nodded. “Just as I have expected. However, I am troubled by this new leader. He seems to be a little rash. The other week my members were able to apprehend several kids he had sent over to hassle us. We found out that it was the Dragon’s doing. It was foolish of him to send such a group onto us but it seems that he wanted to tell us something.” Minsoo’s eyes bore into Dongho’s and the latter soon averted his gaze.  
  
“If you are wondering whether we will form an alliance with the Group, then you may rest assured. As long as we are able to conduct our business peacefully here in illsan, then we will never side with anyone. The lee gang has been able to remain free from your gang politics for many years and we will continue to remain that way.”  
  
Minsoo smiled as he nodded. “Very well; if you remain neutral then I shall leave you alone. However, if you decide to join our game, I believe it would be in your best interests to join our side.”  
  
Dongho turned to peer back at Minsoo, who had returned to staring out the window sipping his tea. He then looked down at his tea, which had grown cold. It suddenly seemed like poison to him and he didn’t want to drink it. He turned to look out the window and the pair stared off into the distance, thinking carefully over the moves they were to make next.

* * *

  
Jihoon stepped out of the car, his feet crunching the gravel as he looked around at his surroundings. He was at a resort in jeju do at the foot of the  Mountains. his black coat fluttered gently about him as a small, cool breeze circulated the air around him. ‘jeju do… a place full of both happy and sad memories…’  
  
He heard the sound of gravel crunching on the other side of the car and he peered over to see Seongwoo emerge from the passenger’s side, stretching his arms as he yawned widely.  
  
“We finally came to a stop, Jihoon?” he asked, trying to figure out where they were. “Where are we?” He had been ordered to accompany Jihoon and he hadn’t told him where they were headed.  
  
Jihoon closed his door behind and went to open the boot, removing a duffel bag. “We’re at one of Minsoo’s resorts in jeju do,” he said simply as he threw Seongwoo’s bag to his feet.  
  
He bent over and picked up his bag, dusting it. “You should be more careful with someone else’s belongings, Jihoon. I wonder if you’ve cracked the screen on my ipod.” He opened up the bag and removed the white device, checking the surface for any scratches.  
  
Jihoon ignored him and proceeded towards the reception, his own bag over his shoulder. A woman in a bronze colored suit bowed behind the desk, a welcoming smile on her heavily powdered face. “Welcome, esteemed guests, to Heavenly Hot Springs Resort. Do you have a reservation or would you like to open up a new room?”  
  
“We have a reservation. Park Jihoon and Ong Seongwoo,” replied Jihoon briskly. The woman’s smile faltered for a second at the harsh tone before she turned her head to the computer and began typing in their names. Seongwoo went to sit on the bamboo sofas with a small smile, spreading himself out so that he took up the whole seat.  
  
A few seconds later, the woman looked up with a smile and removed two keys from below the desk. “Mr Jihoon and Mr Seongwoo: two private villas in the Rose Wing, our most exclusive wing in this resort. A bell boy will be on his way to escort you and I wish…” The woman did not get to finish her sentence as Jihoon grabbed the keys and walked off, Seongwoo quickly hopping off the sofa to follow.  
  
Jihoon followed the granite stone path through a tropical garden, weaving his way along its winding trail as he followed the signs to their rooms. The resort was fairly large and new, a project he himself had overseen parts of during the early stages over two years ago. However, this was actually the first time he had ever set foot in the place.  
  
They arrived outside the first villa, its design seemingly influenced by both Korea and Japanese culture. A small river ran past the front of the dwelling, wooden decking creating a wide bridge across which lead to the front sliding door. Bamboo and other tropical plants grew densely around the villa, creating a nice, cool and relaxing atmosphere. Jihoon turned to Seongwoo, throwing him the key.  
  
“This is your room,” he said as he caught the key in one hand. He was about to walk off when Seongwoo called him back.  
  
“And where’s yours?” he asked.  
  
Jihoon nodded in a direction further down the path. “Over there. But don’t come bothering me. If it wasn’t because Minsoo told me to bring someone, then you wouldn’t even be here at all.”  
  
Seongwoo raised his eyebrows as he watched Jihoon walk off before he turned to enter the villa. “Does he really think I’m that grateful he brought me along? Well, maybe I am a little…” he mumbled as he took off his shoes in the entranceway, sliding the door closed behind.  
  
Jihoon continued down the path and soon emerged outside his villa. It was fashioned in the same way as Seongwoo’s, with a few minor differences here and there. He stepped up onto the decking and proceeded over to the sliding door, opening it. Inside, there was a little step at the entranceway where Jihoon placed his shoes. The rest of the villa was painted a light beige colour and Jihoon soon emerged into the main living room which sported a low black wooden table and four white mats. A small LCD TV sat on a simple mahogany lowline, a pair of large black vases with silver bamboo sticks on either side. Jihoon placed his duffle bag on the table and walked over to another pair of sliding doors, opening them wide to reveal a small private hot spring and garden, looking out over the mountain range beyond.  
  
He closed the doors and turned around, heading over to the bedroom where he proceeded to collapse onto the bed, staring up at the white plaster roof. The bed was of simple and modern design, reaching only to below knee height. Jihoon rolled over onto one side on the white quilt, staring at a Japanese watercolour painting of some mountains in the clouds. his mind drifted back to the other night at the ball, when he had found out that it was Daniel who had been placed on his case. Although he had revealed nothing of his feelings over the matter, the truth was he was devastated. Of all the detectives in the world, it had to be him, the only other person in his life that he had ever cared about.  
  
Jihoon remembered the way he had snuck glances at him that night and smiled. He was still the same as before, the same way he had remembered him back in the orphanage. The way he cared about everyone around him was also the same and he wondered whether he, Woojin , Seungwoon and Minhyun still saw each other. Then he sat up straight, the warm smile on his face immediately disappearing. He could not afford to have such weak thoughts; that would be the beginning of his demise. Daniel was now his enemy. He was the detective, he the assassin. He was just a vile creature, a fiend not worth living in this world, exactly as Minsoo had said the other night to in his charade. Besides, there could be no way in the world Daniel would ever accept who he was. Even back when they were still young he could not bring himself to tell him who had truly murdered his stepfather, for fear that he would hate and shun him.  
  
Glancing down at the quilt cover beside him, Jihoon loosened the tight grip he had not realized he had on the fabric. He slowly smoothed out the quilt, getting off the bed to kneel down beside it. It was no use thinking of things that will not be, of a past one cannot change. He stood up, stepping outside the bedroom. Jihoon took off his coat and tossed it onto the table as he walked past it and into the garden outside. There he began a set of exercises, aiming to clear his mind of the troublesome thoughts. He lost himself to the  fluidity of the movements, feeling no more than the energy flowing through his limbs.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Daniel continued to stare at his laptop screen as he absently fed the cats that were sitting on his desk. The cat constantly hopped around as it tried to follow Daniel’s hand which drifted around, never feeding the cat in the same spot. Getting frustrated, the cat suddenly let out a loud meow, startling Daniel as it makes it way to land on his laptop.  
  
“Rooney! What are you doing? Get off! Get off!” Daniel picked up the cat, placing him back in his original spot. “Now you stay put unless you want to return to your cage.”  
  
Rooney cocked his head to one side with a purr, eyeing Daniel for a few seconds before he turned away in boredom. Daniel shook his head with a smile before returning to his laptop. He had taken the cat into his care after the original owner had passed away. Thinking of Ji hoon, the smile on his face slowly disappeared as he remembered the day he saw him die…  
  
Daniel shook his head, snapping himself away from that train of thought. Going down that direction would only open old wounds, wounds that had taken a long time to heal. He sighed, minimizing all the windows on his screen before clicking on a link which opened a new window. Jihoon’s picture stared back at him, his profile written beside and below it.  
  
**Name:** **Park Jihoon** 박지훈  
  
**Date of Birth:** May 29, 1999  
  
**Nationality: South Korean**  
  
**Occupation: Guards to Park Minsoo, chairman of maroo Corporations**  
  
His profile then continued on to detail his education, family background and regular activities. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the profile, yet Daniel couldn’t shake the feeling that there was. He clicked the close button and then moved his mouse to hover over the link to another profile: Jihoon. He stared at the link for some time, pondering whether he should click on it. As he was about to, a knock suddenly sounded at the door to his study.  
  
“Come in,” said Daniel as he proceeded to call up all the other windows that were minimized. Data and photos related to the ‘Apollyon’ case were now displayed on his screen.  
  
Minhyun ,Woojin, Seungwoon entered, Jaehwan following in behind them with a tray of afternoon snacks. Daniel peered over at the tray with a small frown. “Be sure to keep those brownies and chips away from Rooney. Those things don’t sit well with a cat’s stomach.”  
  
woojin smiled as he picked up a piece, gobbling it down eagerly. “Don’t be such a worry  wort, Daniel hyung. You treat that cat too well in my opinion.”  
  
As if Rooney understood what Woojin had said, he purr over to him where he began scratching at his leg. “Idiot! Idiot!” he cried as his scratch wildy  
  
“Argh! Get it off me, hyung!” shouted  as he raised his legs to defend himself from Rooney’s attacks.  
  
Daniel smiled before he stood, remembering his first meeting with Rooney. “Rooney, come here,” he commanded, holding his arm out. The cat responded and came to his side purring.  
  
“Jeez, hyung! Why do you keep such a beast? It’s never taken kindly to anyone but you!” complained woojin as he glared at the cat.  
  
Daniel smiled sadly as he turned around to the cage behind him, placing Rooney onto his perch.  
  
“Well, maybe if you hadn’t said anything, Rooney might not have attacked you,” suggested Minhyun as he tried to hold back his laughter. “Seungwoon, Jaehwan and I didn’t say a word and we seem to be safe.”  
  
“But you have to agree that the thing attacks everyone but hyung, right?” snapped woojin back.  
  
They all fell silent and turned to look at Daniel, who was busying himself with filling Rooney’s plate with cat food. He felt their stares on his back and let out a sigh as he turned around to look at them. “You guys know already that Rooney can’t help it. He doesn’t trust humans that easily after all the abuse he went through from his first owner. I was just lucky as I had someone help me…” His voice trailed off and they all knew why.  
  
Jaehwan was the first to break the uncomfortable silence. “Anyway; this isn’t why we decided to barge in on you, hyung.” he then turned to look at Minhyun, indicating that he should continue.  
  
Minhyun smiled shyly before turning to look at Daniel. “Er, yeah… The twins and I finally have a break from our studies and seungwoon here just won a trip to Heavenly Hot Springs Resort in Jeju do. We thought we’d invite you along to relax seeing as Jaehwan told us you’ve been stressing over your latest case so much.”  
  
Daniel peered at his friends, thinking it over. “It would be nice to go with you guys but you never know when the killer will strike once more.” He took his seat up behind his desk, turning back to his laptop. “I think I’ll stay here.”  
  
Jaehwan frowned, making his way over to Daniel’s desk and shutting the screen of his laptop. “I’m worried for you, hyung. You’ve been locking yourself up in this room whenever you get home for the past month. I want you to take a break for once and forget about this case just for a couple of days. Go with them, alright, ah HYUNG?”  
  
He peered into his eyes, pleading with him silently. Daniel stared back, finally conceding. “Alright,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll go. If it’ll make you feel better then I’ll go.”  
  
Jaehwan smiled brightly as he stood up straight, clapping his hands together. “Great! Then you can go pack your bags this instant. We’ll be leaving in half an hour.” he walked around the desk and proceeded to pull Daniel out of his seat.  
  
Daniel stared back at him stunned. “Now?” he asked, confused.  
  
The twins stood up and came to push their friend out of the room. “That’s right, hyung! We hired a van to drive there with and we’re all ready to leave now. So let’s get going!”  
  
Jaehwan released Daniel, smiling as he watched the woojin drag him away. Minhyun stood up, walking over to stand by his side. “You’re… coming too, right Jaehwan?” he asked with a shy smile.  
  
He turned to look at Minhyun, rolling his eyes. “Of course I’m going, Minhyun. I wouldn’t miss this trip with you guys for the world! It’ll be the first time in nearly five years since we all went anywhere together.” He smiled at him brightly before stepping out the room and Minhyun watched him leave, his heart swelling slightly with happiness.

* * *

tbc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it looks like Daniel is going on a trip to the same place as Jihoon. What will happened there?..


	12. Chapter 12

**\- 7 years and one Months Ago -**

* * *

  
  
Money was running low these days for Jihoon. The cost of looking after Rooney was alright; that he could manage fine. What was actually draining the last of his cash reserves was in fact the cats hospital he had unwillingly ‘formed’. Since he had adopted Rooney, Jihoon found himself coming across injured Cats more and more often. Daniel helped out whenever he could, but the number of injured Cats was steadily increasing and even he was at a loss at what to do.  
  
“There must something strange about you, Jihoon. You seem to have an affinity for attracting injured Cats,” said Daniel to Jihoon one afternoon as he watched his bandage the leg of the cats.  
  
Jihoon didn’t look up from what he was doing. “I’ve always been strange.”  
  
Daniel let out a small laugh. “That’s not what I meant…” He then turned to peer around him at all the Cats, some perched in cages, other just sitting around inside the hut. Jihoon had allowed Daniel to come into the hut after seeing him get pitifully soaked one afternoon in a heavy rainstorm.  
  
Jihoon finished what he was doing and stood up, carrying the small cat over to a makeshift cage made out of bamboo that already had another five Cats in it. The cats flitted gently onto the perch and Jihoon proceeded to check the other Cats in the cage.  
  
“You know, it would probably be nice if we could make an bed for them outside. What do you think, Jihoon?” asked Daniel as he tried to see what he was doing.  
  
Jihoon removed one of the Cats, taking it over to another corner of the hut. “If you can find the stuff to build it with, go ahead. I don’t care.” He carefully removed the bandage around its legs and it began to purr painfully  & fidget . Standing up, he walked over to a cage opened it for the cats to rest Daniel watched from behind, smiling.  
  
“I’ll go and buy some wire tomorrow then. This place is starting to stink up real bad with you having to keep all the windows and doors closed. How can you stand it, Jihoonie?” said Daniel from behind as he pinched his nose, distorting his voice.  
  
Jihoon rolled his eyes as he proceeded to check the other Cats. “If you can’t stand it, then get out.”

  
  
Daniel arrived later the next day, a disappointed look on his face. Jihoon merely glanced at him as he sat on the porch next to his, heaving a heavy sigh. He returned to patting Rooney, who sat perched on his right legs.  
  
“The wire costs more than I thought, Jihoon. We’ll have to wait a little longer before we can build the new cage.” He turned to look at Jihoon, still patting Rooney. “I was thinking that I might look for a small part-time job. What do you think, Jihoon?”  
  
Jihoon stood up, still not looking at Daniel. “Do whatever you want, euigeon,” he said quietly as he headed into the hut.

  
Jihoon stood leaning against the wall of a building, eyeing the people who were busily walking along the sidewalk. He often came to stand like that, but always making sure that he was never in the same place twice. People always ignored him, as he seemed to have a knack for remaining invisible in a crowd. A person caught his eye and he stood up straighter, watching the man as he walked closer, engrossed in a conversation on his mobile.  
  
The man passed him and Jihoon began tailing him, making sure that he wasn’t too obvious. He need not have worried, for he was completely lost to the conversation and did not notice whenever he bumped into the other people. He was exactly the kind of target Jihoon liked to pick.  
  
He suddenly burst into a sprint, colliding into the back of the man. “YAA! What the-?” shouted the man as he fell, Jihoon falling on top of him.  
  
They struggled with one another, trying to untangle themselves as they stood. “I’m sorry,” apologized Jihoon quietly before he ran off once more.  
  
The man watched him run, shaking his head. “Kids these days,” he said into the phone. He hung up and walked over to a newspaper stand, picking up the day’s paper and handing it to the owner while he reached into his pocket. His brow creased slightly in confusion as he found nothing and his hand then proceeded to check his other pockets, turning up nothing still. Comprehension dawned on him as he turned to search the sidewalk for Jihoon’s long gone form.  
  
“That bastard kid stole my wallet!”

  
Daniel jumped out of the forest, a big smile on his face. “I found a job, Jihoonie!” he shouted as he ran up the steps to the hut, carefully opening the door so the Cats was not disturbed. However, the smile on his face disappeared, only to be replaced with a frown as he saw that he wasn’t inside. “Where could he have gone?” he wondered out loud.  
  
He closed the door, retreating back to sit on the porch outside as he waited. Time flew by slowly and he busied himself with a novel, occasionally glancing up as he heard the trees rustle slightly, thinking it may be Jihoon. Every time that happened, Daniel couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. He would then return to his novel feeling distracted and wondering why he was.  
  
After trying to read his book for another ten minutes, he gave up as he realized that he had reread the same paragraph again several times. He snapped the book shut, lying back down on the porch with a sigh. Ever since that day he went to speak with Jihoon in the library, his every thought had been about him. At first he merely pitied him, seeing that they both had a similar kind of past, even though his was probably more horrible than him. But as the days flew by he found himself more and more mesmerized by his presence, the quiet way he held himself as he hid all his troubles from those around him. He found the way he took to the Cats an endearing aspect of his personality and a small smile crept on his face.  
  
The trees rustled once more but Daniel ignored it, believing it was another false alarm. A dragging sound soon replaced the rustling and Daniel now furrowed his brow in suspicion as he turned to look. He sat up straight when he saw Jihoon dragging a large roll of wire behind him.  
  
“Where did you get all that wire from, jihoon?” he asked as he ran over to take the bundle from Jihoon.  
  
Jihoon let him take it, relieved that he didn’t have to drag the heavy thing anymore. “A guy was going to dump it so I asked for it,” he replied without looking at him.  
  
Daniel studied the roll of wire. “But it doesn’t look like it has been used yet.”  
  
Jihoon shrugged as he walked over to the porch, removing a bottle of water from Daniel’s bag and drinking it down thirstily. He then stood up and headed towards the hut’s door. “I brought you the wire, euigeon. Do whatever you want with it,” said Jihoon over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him.  
  
Daniel watched him leave. He then smiled, looking down at the wire in his hands. “Then I’ll build you a great cage, jihoonie.”

  
Inside, Jihoon leant against the door until he heard Daniel continue to drag the wire to where he was going to build the cage. He then reached into his pocket, pulling out the black leather wallet he had stolen. Opening it, he removed the KRW$10000 that was left.  
  
“The wire cost me KRW$2300… I hope the rest will last a little longer,” he said in a soft whisper.  
  
Jihoon walked over to the corner where he kept his tin hidden under a box he used as a table to place Rooney’s cage on. He moved his cage gently and pulled out his tin, placing the money inside. His eyes darted once more over the items within, coming to a rest on the necklace Daniel had given him with a smile. He touched it briefly then closed the lid, putting the tin back under the box.

  
It took Daniel a total of three days to finish building the cage, mostly due to the fact that he kept realizing that he needed a certain piece of equipment when he needed to use it. On the first day when Jihoon had brought the wire, he realized that he needed an axe to go and cut some bamboo for the frame. The next day he returned with the axe and managed to cut down the bamboo he needed, only to realize that he did not bring any wire trimmers or cable ties to cut and hold the wire together. On the last day he realized he had forgotten a hammer but this time Jihoon had anticipated that he would forget so he brought one instead. Together, they finished off building the caged and they stood back to admire their work once they were done.  
  
“There. It’s finally finished, Jihoon,” said Daniel with a smile as he stared at the structure that was around the same height as him.  
  
A small smile lit Jihoon’s face before he turned around and headed towards the hut. “It’s not done yet. Help me move the Cats in, euigeon.”  
  
Daniel grinned eagerly as he went over to help him. It took them around half an hour more before the last of the Cats were finally put into the caged and Daniel set about filling bowl cut in half with clean water and food. “You know, I’ve been wondering about how you’ve been managing to feed all these Cats. I mean, it must cost quite a bit, right, Jihoon?” he asked as he looked up from what he was doing.  
  
Jihoon had just removed Rooney from his cage on the porch, faltering slightly as he avoided Daniel’s gaze. “I… I managed to save up quite a bit before… my mother died,” answered Jihoon in a quiet voice.  
  
“Oh.” Daniel turned away, feeling guilty that he had opened old wounds. He then smiled as he finished what he was doing and exited the aviary. “Well, you won’t have to worry about money anymore, Jihoon. I meant to tell you this a couple days ago, but it totally slipped my mind.” He walked over to the porch, leaning against one of the posts. “I found a weekend job at a deli near my house so I’ll be able to help with the cost of feeding all these Cats from now on.”  
  
Daniel then came to sit beside Jihoon, holding his arm out to pet Rooney. The cats hopped onto his legs happily purring and Daniel proceeded to stroke his head. “I still can’t believe you managed to tame this cats to like me. I hated him at first but after you told me you managed to save him from his abusive owner, I kinda understood why he attacked me on sight.” He looked up at Jihoon with a smile. “You really have a way with Cats, Jihoon. It’s amazing.”  
  
Jihoon stared into his eyes before turning away. “I’m not amazing, euigeon.”  
  
Daniel cocked an eyebrow with an amused smile. “There you go being modest again, Jihoon.” He handed Rooney back to Jihoon, who put the cats back into his cage. “I’ve been wondering this for a while… Why do always call me by my other name, Jihoon?”  
  
Jihoon stared out into the distance before he replied softly, “Because I think it sounds better.”  
  
Daniel turned away, feeling his cheeks heat up. A small smile touched his lips as he said to his quietly, “I think your name sounds nice as well.”  
  
Jihoon suddenly stood up, picking up Rooney’s cage as he made his way over to the door. “It’s getting late. We’d better hurry and clean the inside of the hut if we want it to smell a little better by tomorrow.”  
  
He disappeared into the hut and Daniel watched him leave, grinning widely. He had seen him blush.

* * *

 

**tbc.**


	13. Chapter 13

**\- Present Day -**

* * *

  
  
It took them the rest of the afternoon to drive to Jeju do, taking roughly three hours from when they finally left Daniel and Jaehwan’s house. Minhyun volunteered to drive, which the wooojin  & seungwoon agreed was a given for Minhyun had been the one who rented the van. Jaehwan sat in the front with Minhyun as all the guys agreed that jaehwan should be given a seat at the front of the vehicle. The twins sat in the middle row, fighting over which KTV DVD to put on whilst Daniel sat right at the back, staring out the window lost in thought. Jaehwan constantly glanced at Daniel’s distant expression through his vanity mirror, slightly worried. Minhyun noticed his expression and he glanced up at the rear-view mirror, seeing the cause of his look.  
  
“This place has too many memories for him,” he said quietly to Jaehwan as he returned to concentrate on the road before him. “I don’t know if we did the right thing in dragging him along with us.”  
  
Jaehwan snapped his eyes away from Daniel in the mirror, turning to stare out the window at the urban scenery. “He has to forget about him someday,” said Jaehwan in a small voice.  
  
Minhyun let out a sigh, glancing once more at Daniel in the mirror. “I don’t think he’ll ever forget. It’s already been 6 years since that day but his shadow still hangs around him.”  
  
Jaehwan continued to stare out the window, absently chewing his bottom lip. “He will forget. He will.”  
  
Taking his eyes off the road once more, Minhyun glanced at Jaehwan with a heavy heart. ‘ **Isn’t 6 years more than enough for a normal person to get over a death?’** he thought defiantly.  
  
Meanwhile, the subject of their conversation remained silent in the back seat, a mixture of feelings coursing through his mind. He hadn’t set foot in Jeju do for a couple of years now and as they entered the district, familiar sights rushed to meet and remind him of jihoon. But as thoughts of Jihoon entered his mind, he was also reminded of the other Jihoon. Their conversation the other night at the party returned to him and he couldn’t help but realize how much Park Jihoon reminded him of the other Park Jihoon. As he thought about it more, his brow creased in suspicion. Not only were their mannerisms similar, but Jihoon looked a lot like Jihoonie, much like how he imagined Jihoon would look like now. But that was preposterous. He had seen  Jihoon die before his eyes. There was no way Jihoon could be Jihoonie. No way at all.  
  
They drove past a familiar old building and the Woojin suddenly jumped to crouch behind the driver’s seat, tugging on Minhyun’s sleeves. “YAA, Minhyun! That’s our old orphanage! Pull over for a sec!” exclaimed seungwoon, nodding his head vigorously.  
  
Minhyun glanced over at the building and let out a small smile. “Fine,” he said and they pulled into the driveway. The both of them practically jumped out of the van when it came to a stop.  
  
“We haven’t been here in ages!” said Woojin as he glanced around at the familiar grounds. “It still looks the same, huh, Seungwoon?”  
  
Seungwoon nodded his head with a small nostalgic smile. “Yeah, the same… YAA, Woojin? Why don’t we go and see if Sister Emily is still around? I wonder how she’ll react when she sees us!” laughed Seungwoon before both the twins disappeared into the building.  
  
“YAA, you two! Don’t go pestering the Sisters for too long! We have to get to the resort before it gets too late!” shouted Minhyun after the twins as he stepped out of the car.  
  
Jaehwan stepped out of the van, turning around to see Daniel still in his seat. “Aren’t you coming, hyung?” he asked, even though he felt that he knew what his answer would be.  
  
Daniel shook his head, still staring out the window towards the distant mountain range. “No, I’ll be fine here. You go for a walk with Minhyun, okay? And keep an eye on them for me.”  
  
A small sad smile crept onto Jaehwan’s face as he nodded his head. “If that’s what you want,.” He walked over to Minhyun’s side, trying his best to hide the disappointment. “Daniel wants to stay in the car and he told us to go keep an eye on them.”  
  
Minhyun nodded in understanding and together they headed over into the orphanage in silence. A dull ache at the bottom of his heart refused to go away, and Minhyun caught himself glancing at Jaehwan every few seconds to see that a distracted look troubled his features, which only served to make the ache worse. They soon arrived outside the dining hall where they spotted them engaged in a round of arm wrestling with some of the older orphans, the onlookers cheering loudly at the current pair of competitors.  
  
As they approached, Seungwoon’s hand was suddenly twisted back in defeat. “Hah! I beat ya, Seungwoon!” shouted the other boy in glee.  
  
Seungwoon stood up from his spot, glaring at the boy. “Yeah, yeah, don’t get too excited over it. You just got lucky, kid.”  
  
“What is all this commotion in here?” asked an authoritative woman’s voice from behind Minhyun and Jaehwan in the hall’s entrance.  
  
Everyone glanced over to the owner of the voice and all the kids in the hall, including the woojin & seungwoon, grimaced slightly. “Shoot, Sister Emily is here!” exclaimed one of the other orphans in a low voice.  
  
Sister Emily made her way past Minhyun and Jaehwan, nodding politely with a small smile at them as she walked by. Her face resumed its stern disapproving look as she finally arrived next to them. “I should have known it would be you two, Woojin and Seungwoon. You two never seem to grow up, do you?” she sighed as she shook her head slightly.  
  
The twins suddenly smiled brightly, rushing to stand either side of the elderly sister. “Oh, Sister; we miss you too,” said Woojin in a sweet voice.  
  
Seungwoon nodded his head vigorously. “If you weren’t a Sister, we’d have already given you a nice warm hug!”  
  
Sister Emily frowned slightly, a small smile curving the edge of her mouth as she stepped away from them. “You two are just as foolish as always. What brings you three and the young lad here?”  
  
“Seungwoon here won a week’s stay at the Heavenly Hot Springs Resort in the mountains near here. We were driving by when we recognized our old home,” smiled Woojin.  
  
“I see.” Her gaze then shifted over to Minhyun. “And how have you been, Minhyun? Are your studies going along well?”  
  
“Hey! Why didn’t you ask us how we’re doing?” pouted Seungwoon as he crossed his arms.  
  
Sister Emily gave an absent shrug as she avoided their accusing stares. Minhyun grinned as he shook his head. “I’m doing fine, Sister Emily. Another two years and I’ll be done with my acting degree once and for all. I really want to start practicing soon.”  
  
“That’s nice to hear,” said Sister Emily. She then began glancing around the hall, as if searching for someone. “Is Daniel not here with you?”  
  
“No, he opted to stay in the van,” answered Minhyun.  
  
Sister Emily then gave a small understanding nod. “I see… It seems it takes a long time for old wounds to heal.” She then looked up, smiling warmly towards the four. “Well, please give him my kind regards and tell him that he will always be welcome here. Now, as for myself, I think I have spent enough time with you children conversing. There are other tasks I must attend to and you children had better keep the volume low if you wish to play in such a big hall. Your voices echo horribly in here.” She then shook her head and strolled out of the hall.

  
“Sister Emily was pretty lenient today,” commented Woojin as the four of them stepped out of the orphanage after going to see the other Sisters.  
  
“Well, maybe it was because she was happy to see the three of you,” suggested Jaehwan with a smile.  
  
Woojin nodded his head as he pretended to be deep in thought. “Of course she was happy to see us; who wouldn’t be?”  
  
Jaehwan rolled his eyes then, shaking his head. “You two are just so full of yourselves.”  
  
Seungwoon turned to look at Jaehwan with a hurt expression on his face. “But I didn’t even say anything!”  
  
They finally arrived at the van, spotting Daniel still seated in the back seat but his eyes were now closed. Quietly, they entered the vehicle, continuing on with their conversation. “One of the kids told us that we weren’t the only ones to visit them today,” said Woojin as they slid the van door closed.  
  
“Isn’t that normal?” asked Minhyun as he started the engine.  
  
**“I guess, but the kid said the man only stood at the gate, staring in. But when he tried to go and see what he wanted, he just stared at him blankly before walking off.”**  
  
“And you’re telling us this because…?” asked Seungwoon, waving his hand in the air for his twin to continue.  
  
Woojin just shrugged. “I dunno, thought it might be interesting.”

  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the van pulled up into the gravel car park of the resort, small dust clouds stirring in their wake. Daniel slowly opened his eyes as the vehicle came to a stop, stretching a little as he took in their surroundings. He hadn’t exactly been asleep since they left the orphanage, but instead remained in a half-awake state where he was aware of his surroundings yet also resting. Woojin eagerly jumped out of the van, leaving Daniel to slide the seat forward by himself, so that he could get out. Jaehwan saw him and came to help.  
  
“Here,; let me help you,” he said as he helped Daniel slide the chair forward.  
  
“Thanks,” smiled Daniel as he finally stepped out of the van. He stood there, looking at the surrounding green vegetation with a small smile. “It’s actually not too bad up here.”  
  
A grin spread across Jaehwan’s face. “That’s a relief,. You didn’t really talk much on the way here and I was beginning to think that you didn’t want to come.”  
  
Daniel smiled down at him, giving him a little pat on the head. “You worry too much, my. The five of us haven’t been anywhere together for a long time; why would I throw away the chance to come along with you guys?”  
  
Jaehwan smiled back up at Daniel. Minhyun, who had been busy removing the bags from the back of the van, watched the exchange with a heavy heart. As Minhyun returned to his task with a small sigh, they suddenly appeared by his side, mischievous twinkles in their eyes.  
  
“Feeling heartbroken again, are we Minhyun?” asked Seungwoon with a knowing grin.  
  
“Why don’t you just confess to him properly? After all, everyone knows how you feel about him,” added Woojin, nodding his head sagely.  
  
Minhyun shoved the twins their bags. “Until you two end up with steady boy, don’t go meddling in other people’s love affairs,” he snapped as he closed the boot. He picked up the rest of the bags and headed over to the reception, Daniel walking over to help him. The twins continued to grin after their friend as they followed behind.  
  
The receptionist at the counter bowed slightly in greeting, smiling brightly. “Welcome, esteemed guests, to Heavenly Hot Springs Resort. Do you have a reservation or would you like to open a new room?”  
  
Seungwoon strolled up to the front of the group, grinning widely as he pulled out a letter. “Well, actually, I’m the winner of that competition you recently held on the radio and I’m here to claim my prize.” He handed the letter over to the receptionist.  
  
The woman took the letter, reading through it quickly before turning to type on her computer. “Ah yes… The four night group package prize. You should have contacted us earlier to confirm the room but luckily for you, it has not been booked for the next four nights. If you care to wait a moment while I type in your details…”  
  
Seungwoon continued to wait by the counter, giving details whenever he was asked. Daniel stood to the back of the group, glancing around him aimlessly. The resort seemed like a nice, classy vacation getaway, something he wouldn’t be able to afford very often. He felt bad that he didn’t invite jinyoung along, for he knew he could do with a break too. He hadn’t sounded too happy either over the phone when he told him he would be absent for the next few days.  
  
The receptionist finally finished checking them in and she handed over the set of keys, one for each person staying in the room. They were told to leave their bags there in the lobby as a bell boy would then take their bags for them, before they made their way over to their rooms. Their feet echoed softly over the wooden boardwalk path as they made their way to their rooms in the Orchid Wing, passing through the majority of the resort’s facilities. As they neared their room, one particular sight caught their eyes.  
  
A small distance away, two people were engaged in a sparring match, their movements controlled as they aimed only to practice rather than to severely injure the other. Several other people were watching them discreetly, and from where Daniel and his friends were standing, it was too hard to see the faces of the combatants. The two continued to execute chains of movements that flowed together harmoniously, creating a breathtaking display of martial arts.  
  
Woojin gave out a low whistle. “Now those two know how to fight. Man, I’d like to go down and watch them closely.”  
  
“Same here,” said Seungwoon as he continued to watch in awe.  
  
Daniel was the first to tear his gaze away from the delicate fighters. “Are we going to our rooms yet or not? I want to start relaxing already, instead of gawking at some fight.”  
  
The others began to shuffle away reluctantly, continuously glancing back at the spectacle in the distance. Daniel shook his head with a smile as he watched them, also throwing a curious glance back at the pair. ‘Those two definitely know how to fight. They’re no amateurs; they’re professionals.’

* * *

 

**tbc**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the confusion on both park jihoon,There a reason to be... Anyway, So many things are happening on the trip and at other places at the same time, that it's taking quite a few chapters to cover them.


	14. Chapter 14

* * *

 

  
Jihoon woke up early that morning, meditating quietly in the garden to his villa while the morning sun finally made its way over the mountains. As the warm rays touched his face, he slowly opened his eyes, taking in the peaceful sight around him. He hadn’t felt a peace like this for some time now and it was a sort of refreshing feeling. But at times he felt his memories overwhelm him and it was at those times when Jihoon would call Seongwoo out for a match.  
  
He stood up slowly, beginning his early morning exercises. Once he felt that his body had loosened up nicely, he returned to his room, freshening up before changing into a new set of clothes. He stepped out of the house, running into Seongwoo as he made his way towards the restaurant for the morning’s breakfast buffet.  
  
“Morning, Jihoon,” greeted Seongwoo as he fell into step behind Jihoon. Jihoon remained silent.  
  
They finally arrived at the restaurant, a rather large wooden building that was built at the edge of a cliff, looking out into the valley below. Jihoon and Seongwoo went to sit at their usual table, situated in a quiet corner away from all the other guests.  
  
“Do you want the same as usual, Jihoon?” asked Seongwoo as he got ready to head over to the buffet table.  
  
Jihoon nodded without looking as he stared out the window at the mountains. Seongwoo let out a small sigh as he headed over to the buffet table. Jihoon had spoken even less than usual lately since they arrived at the resort. He wondered whether it had anything to do with running into that person from his past several days ago, especially since they shared so many memories with one another in this very district.  
  
The mountains seemed to surround them, looking like a barrier yet also appearing as if they could go on forever. Jihoon’s eyes wandered over the forests covering the slopes, his eyes coming to rest on a familiar land mark. He had already paid a visit to his old orphanage and wandered through the streets like he had once done all those years ago. But there was one more thing he hadn’t done and that was the one thing he wanted to do most. Perhaps he would get around to it later today.  
  
Seongwoo finally arrived, carrying with him one plate full of bacon, ham, scrambled eggs, several pieces of toast and some butter, and a bowl filled with congee garnished with grilled fish and spring onions. He then walked off to return with a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice.  
  
As they proceeded to eat their breakfast in silence, a somewhat rowdy group suddenly entered, growing quiet as they realized how loud they were. Jihoon watched them take a seat at a table a small distance away through the reflection in the window. For some reason, he found the group somewhat familiar.  
  
“Too bad Daniel Hyung didn’t want to come out with us. He doesn’t know what he’s missing out on!” said woojin, whom Jihoon finally recognized as woojin.  
  
“Ah, who cares about Hyung? He said so himself that he didn’t feel like eating breakfast here. Do you think maybe he’s sick?” asked the other, Seungwoon.  
  
“Oppa not sick, you two. Stop spouting nonsense and go get your breakfast,” snapped Jaehwan, who Jihoon faintly remembered as the family that adopted Daniel’s .  
  
Jihoon placed down his spoon, having eaten only half his bowl as he began to drink his orange juice. Seongwoo peered up at Jihoon, taking a bite out of his piece of toast.  
  
“Leaving already, Jihoon?” he asked through his full mouth.  
  
Jihoon stood up, his chair sliding back noisily on the wooden floor. “Don’t bother me today, Ong Seongwoo.”  
  
Seongwoo watched as Jihoon walked out of the restaurant, chewing absently on his piece of toast. He then peered over at the table where they, Minhyun and Jaehwan sat, noticing that Minhyun was staring at Jihoon as he walked by. Dropping his piece of toast, he turned away and picked up his coffee, starring out the window with an expressionless face.

 

The trek through the forest was still the same as ever, apart from the fact that the vegetation had become somewhat overgrown, hiding the trail Ji hoon had once created with Daniel. Thinking of Daniel, Ji hoon remembered back to the morning, after he had left the restaurant. He had never expected to see Minhyun and the two here at the resort, much less finding out that Daniel had come with them. To make sure he had heard correctly, Ji hoon had gone to the reception, finding out that he was indeed staying in the resort. He made his way over to his room, watching from a distance as he exited and made his way towards the public hot springs. Ji hoon saw him enter the pools, mixed feelings flowing through his mind. He wondered why fate was conspiring to bring him back into his life, after that same fate had forcefully taken his away from the small peace his presence had brought to him. Steeling himself, he had walked away, coming to the decision that he would leave that night, but not before he did one last thing.  
  
The hut loomed before him and Ji hoon parted the fronds of a large fern as he finally emerged into the familiar clearing. He peered at the sight through nostalgic eyes, taking in the weathered dwelling; wooden boards were falling out of place and patches could be seen in the grass thatched roof. His gaze then travelled over to the caged, horribly broken down as the bamboo posts were broken, the cats which had once occupied it long gone.  
  
He slowly made his way over to the hut, picking up one of the bamboo poles as he came to a stop before it. Ji hoon slowly twirled the pole in his hands, smiling a little as he remembered how Daniel had constantly forgotten pieces of equipment when they were building the structure. The pole began to twirl faster in his hands as his smile soon faded from his face. He suddenly spun around, throwing the pole into the ground behind his where it stuck, wobbling slightly on the spot. Ji hoon watched the pole oscillate, the size of its swings steadily decreasing before it was so small, the pole appeared to have gone still. He walked over to it, giving it a lazy turning kick and knocking it to the ground.  
  
A bitter laugh then emanated from his mouth, steadily growing louder as he felt his eyes grow warm. He fell to his knees, attempting to pull himself together. Being in Jeju do was really taking its toll on Ji hoon, constantly reminding his of the very things he missed in his miserable life. On the day master had told him to take his holiday here at the resort, Ji hoon had realized just what he meant by improving his discipline. This was all just a cruel test, a test to see whether he could face his past, to beat back his weaker self and become the soulless assassin master wanted him to be. But Ji hoon knew that it was only a matter of time before he would meet his end. Just like the pole had oscillated to a standstill, there will be a point when everything in his own life will come to a stop, only to be knocked down as he met his end.  
  
The trees behind Ji hoon rustled and he stiffened, paying close attention to the sound of footsteps crunching the sparse grass. However, he wasn’t prepared for the silent whisper that slipped from the mouth of the owner of the footsteps.  
  
“ **ji hoonie**?…”

  
After his quick dip in the hot springs, Daniel had wandered around the resort, glancing with little interest at the other tourists gathered there to enjoy one of the finest resorts in Jeju Do. He had run into the other earlier and had refused their invitation to join them in a round of tennis, much to jaehwan’s disappointment. Instead, Daniel had decided that he would leave the resort, heading off towards a familiar place close to his heart. But when he had arrived there, he wasn’t prepared for the ghost he saw.  
  
“Ji hoonie?…” he whispered, the name slipping from his mouth as he stared at the back of the figure kneeling on the grass.  
  
The figure turned around and that was when Daniel had realized his mistake. Ji hoon stood up, brushing the debris from his knees. “Detective Euigeon… I never thought I’d see you here, let alone this far from the trail.” He smiled up at him before turning to look at the hut. “But then again, I suppose it’s not unusual for people to wander from the trail if a hut like this has been built here.”  
  
Daniel continued to stare at Ji hoon, wondering how he could have believed for a second that he was Ji hoonie. He took several steps towards him, turning to look at the hut and he felt a pang of sorrow as he saw the poor state it was in. “It used to be in better shape,” he said quietly.  
  
Ji hoon turned to look at him, his eyebrows raised slightly in question. “You have been here before?”  
  
Daniel turned to look at Ji hoon, before averting his eyes. “Yes… but it has been nearly 6 years since I’ve set foot in this clearing.” He smiled sadly, looking at the ground. “I used to have a very close friend who often came to hide up here. He was always so… sad, but in the time we spent up here, I believe he was happy for once.”  
  
Ji hoon remained silent next to Daniel, closing his eyes as he tried to steel his mind. It hurt so much to hear him talk like this. Opening his eyes, he said quietly, “You must miss him a lot.”  
  
“Everyday.”  
  
That one word threatened to weaken Ji hoon’s resolve so much, that he found himself taking a subconscious step away from Daniel. “I think I’d better head back towards the resort.” he turned to walk away but was pulled up short as Daniel grabbed his arm.  
  
“Wait,” he said quietly, wondering why he wasn’t willing to let Ji hoon return.  
  
He continued to have him face turned away from him and he had to turn his around to look at him. Their eyes connected and the pair found that they could not tear their gaze from the other. Daniel finally found himself slowly nearing Ji hoon, the distance between them growing ever smaller until he softly brought his lips to meet him. Ji hoon closed his eyes, throwing away all his earlier misgivings to the wind as he savored Daniel’s lips on him. The pair continued to stay that way for nearly a minute, before Ji hoon finally brought himself to break the kiss.  
  
“I’m sorry,” apologized Daniel as he took a step back. “I don’t know… what came over me.”  
  
Ji hoon didn’t reply back, instead turning on the spot to leave the clearing. Daniel watched him disappear under the trees, mentally kicking himself. He truly had no idea what had possessed him to something that was so out of character for him. Turning around to stare at the hut with guilt, he felt as if he had just betrayed Ji hoonie. He made his way over to sit on the porch, hanging his head in defeat with a sigh.  
  
“Forgive me… Jihoonie…”

 

* * *

 

**tbc.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you guys are still reading it.. haha


	15. Chapter 15

 

* * *

 

Jaehwan had been wandering through the whole resort, trying to find where Daniel had disappeared off to. After he had refused to join them for a game of tennis, the four of them had not heard from him since. Jaehwan was beginning to grow anxious over his hyung absence and so he had decided to trek through the extensive resort grounds. Minhyun followed at a small distance behind, having given up on trying to persuade Jaehwan to return back to their rooms to wait for Daniel there.  
  
He suddenly tripped over a rock at the side of a path that wound through the rose garden, Minhyun coming to catch him just before he fell forward. He carefully helped him back onto her feet and Jaehwan shoved his hands away before adjusting his clothes back to normal.  
  
“You can leave me alone, Minhyun. Nothing will happen at a first class resort such as this,” snapped Jaehwan as he began to walk down the path again. Minhyun continued to follow behind.  
  
“I won’t leave you alone, Jaehwan. If I wasn’t here, you would’ve fallen back there,” replied Minhyun, growing slightly agitated at the stubbornness.  
  
Jaehwan stopped walking. He spun around on the spot with his hands on his pocket, glaring at Minhyun. “I don’t need you to babysit me, Minhyun. Just let me look for my hyung in peace.” He turned back around to continue walking down the path.  
  
“Look, Jaehwan,” said Minhyun suddenly, grabbing him by the arm and turning him to face him. “Daniel said he wanted to be alone and you know why. He said he would come back later and you know he always keeps his word. So why worry about him so much?” He then began to drag him back along the path. “It’s getting late and we should go find something to eat. You already skipped on lunch today. I’m not going to have you faint on me from starvation.”  
  
Jaehwan pulled his arm out of Minhyun’s grip, staring back at him angrily. “Why should I listen to you, Minhyun shii? For however long I’ve known you, you’ve always been clinging to my side. Why can’t you get it through that thick skull of yours that I don’t feel the same way you do?” Seeing the hurt look in his eyes immediately made him regret what he had just said.  
  
A sad smile suddenly cracked onto Minhyun’s face as he softly laughed bitterly. He began nodding his head, as if accepting what Jaehwan was saying. “Yeah… I’ve always known that Jaehwan, but it has never changed the way I feel about you. I know you liking Daniel and I won’t force you to change your mind. But if my being around you all the time is really annoying you, then I guess I’d better leave you in peace.” He turned around, his gaze never meeting Jaehwan’s. “But do go and eat some dinner. I’m worried for you.”  
  
Jaehwan watched as he slowly walked off, his hands in his pockets and his head hung low in disappointment. Something about the way he looked so sad seemed to tug at Jaehwan’s heartstrings and he attributed the feeling as one of guilt. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he hurried after him. “Wait, Minhyun; I’ll come w-”  
  
His sentence was cut midway when he tripped once more, landing in a rose bush. Minhyun spun around as he fell, running in an attempt to try and catch him but he was too slow. Jaehwan had fallen into the bush, wincing in pain as he helped him up. Minhyun peered at the dozens of small cuts that the thorns had nicked him along the length of his arms.  
  
“Can’t you be more careful, Jaehwan shii?” sighed Minhyun after he examined the cuts and saw that they were nothing serious. He peered up into Jaehwan’s face, trying to hide the smile on his and earning a little slap on the shoulder from Jaehwan.  
  
“It’s not like I wanted to fall into the bush!” he snapped back at him.  
  
Minhyun just laughed as he shook his head. “Come on; we’d better go put some antiseptic on these cuts.”  
  
Jaehwan allowed Minhyun to lead him away, grudgingly permitting him to hold his hand. He watched him walk before him in the early evening light, still feeling guilty about the outburst at him earlier. It wasn’t that he hated him and the feelings he had for him, but rather that he didn’t feel the same rush he had every time he saw Daniel. A tired sigh escaped the lips as he thought about his adopted hyung. Ever since the first day his parents had brought him into their family, Jaehwan always had that rush of excitement as he laid his eyes on him. The feeling had confused his innocent mind back then but as he grew older, he soon realized that he was in love with Daniel. That revelation alone had brought along so many internal conflicts, for everyone saw them as hyung a dongseang, let alone the other fact that his brother’s heart seemed to have been give to that jihoon guy. It was not until recently that Jaehwan had decided to throw away all the misgivings about the fact that they were siblings, but he still did not have the courage to pursue him further if his heart was still with that guy.  
  
Minhyun suddenly came to a stop at the corner of a building and Jaehwan was startled from  musings. He quickly shuffled back behind the wall, motioning for Jaehwan to stay quiet while he tried to peer around the corner. Curious, Jaehwan crouched down beside him, also peering around the corner.  
  
“Had a nice walk, Jihoon?” said a man leaning against one of the posts that supported the large patio.  
  
Jihoon seemed to pay no attention to the man as he casually strolled past him. The man seemed to smile a little before he grabbed his arm.  
  
“master says we have to return. A new job has just come in.”  
  
Jihoon peered at the hand on his arm before looking up into the man’s face with an expressionless look. For a second there, it seemed to Minhyun that he had glanced in their direction and knew that they were eavesdropping. He retreated a little behind the wall, just in case.  
  
“I was just planning on returning tonight,” he answered in a voice as cold as his eyes.  
  
The man removed his hand, smiling widely. “Good… Then let’s head back to pack together. I’m sure you’re looking for something interesting to do after being cooped up in this boring resort for nearly a week.” He then walked off, leading the way down the path.  
  
Jihoon watched him walk off, glancing ever so slightly over his shoulder with a small cold smile. His shoes then echoed along the path as he followed Seongwoo.  
  
Minhyun retreated back behind the wall, leaning against it with a frown on his face, seemingly lost in thought. Jaehwan peered up at Minhyun, wondering what was bothering him.  
  
“Why did you just eavesdrop on those two? Do you even know them?” he asked curiously.  
  
Minhyun shook his head. “No… But something about that man is really familiar. When I saw him walk by our table this morning I thought I saw a ghost, but… I guess I was wrong.” He then turned to look down at Jaehwan, smiling. “Anyway, we were going to get your cuts cleaned up, right?”  
  
Jaehwan stood up and together they headed towards the first aid room of the resort. All the while, he continued to wonder what it was about that man that had caught Minhyun’s attention. He began to feel a little agitated that his attention was even now probably still on that man. Then he took a mental step backwards; why should he be fretting over the fact that his attention was now on some guy other than him? It couldn’t be that he was… jealous?  
  
No.  
  
Absolutely.  
  
No.  
  
Way.

* * *

 

Daniel slowly woke from his half-asleep state, his mind still whirling with the last thoughts he had since he last woke that night. It was morning now and even though his room was almost completely dark, the morning sun still managed to filter in around the edges of the drawn curtains. He stood up out of the sofa he had been laying on, having decided that he didn’t feel like sleeping on the bed last night. All night his mind had been consumed with thoughts of Jihoon and Jihoonie. Whenever he thought of the two, he found that he couldn’t really separate them, as if they were one and the same. He found himself growing confused and frustrated over the matter, wondering what was happening with himself. As his mind traveled back to the kiss on the mountain, Daniel couldn’t help but feel a rush of guilt that he had betrayed Jihoon’s memory. Yet within that guilt mingled a kind of happiness that he couldn’t quite explain.  
  
He let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his hands over his face as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. He was getting tired of walking in these mental circles. Standing up, he made his way over to the bathroom where he set about getting ready for the new day.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Daniel stepped out of his room, closing the door quietly behind. It was still early in the morning and the resort seemed eerily quiet, the morning glow adding to its surreal atmosphere. Casually, he made his way out of the Orchid Wing, strolling over to the restaurant. He came to a stop at the closed doors, reading the sign which said that breakfast was only served from 7 am to 9:30 am. It was 6:35 am, so that meant that Daniel still had another twenty-five minutes before he could grab something to eat.  
  
Turning around, he decided to walk over to the lobby, taking a long scenic route through a tropical garden. When he finally arrived, he saw that the receptionist was already sitting behind her desk and he made his way over.  
  
“Hi… I’m just wondering if you could tell me which room Park Jihoon is in?” he asked. He had seen Jihoon return to this resort last night after their rendezvous, but at the time he wasn’t sure if he should approach him.  
  
The receptionist smiled tiredly up at him and nodded, stifling a yawn as she turned to type on her computer. After a minute, she turned to look back up at Daniel apologetically. “I’m sorry, Sir; that person has checked out already.”  
  
“Oh… Thank you,” he said with a small, disappointed smile. He turned away slowly, his hands travelling to his pockets as he left the lobby. For some reason, Daniel felt that he was probably the reason why Jihoon had left so suddenly. He mentally kicked himself for acting like a fool the other day, perhaps the hundredth time since. He wanted to apologize to him again but now he did not even have the chance.  
  
Daniel decided he would wait the remaining ten minutes before the restaurant opened on a bench near the restaurant door. Several other early risers were also waiting nearby and among them he spotted minhyun.  
  
“YAAA! You’re up early today,” said minhyun as he came to sit beside Daniel.  
  
Daniel gave Minhyun a tired smile. “Yeah… a lot of things are on my mind.”  
  
Minhyun raised an eyebrow, intrigued as he peered up at Daniel. Daniel noticed the look and let out a wry smile.  
  
“I’m not going to dump my problems on you, Minhyun.” It was a couple more seconds before he decided to change the topic. “You’re also up early today.”  
  
Minhyun turned away, leaning back on the bench. “Yeah, felt like an early morning jog.” He then seemed to grow quiet, as if he was mulling over something. “You know, … yesterday, I think I saw someone who looks a lot like… Jihoonie…”  
  
The muscle in Daniel’s jaw stiffened and Minhyun immediately regretted bringing up the topic. He let out a nervous laugh, patting Daniel on the shoulder.  
  
“But how can that be? I think I was just hallucinating. Don’t think too much into it, okay,?” he assured, glancing at Daniel worriedly.  
  
Daniel continued to stare into the distance, the expression in his eyes unreadable. Minhyun was beginning to grow very worried when Daniel finally spoke. “So you think so too?” he asked in a quiet voice.  
  
Minhyun seemed shocked to hear that question. “You’ve seen him?”  
  
Daniel nodded. “Yeah… but he checked out already.”  
  
“You know he left too? Did you also eavesdrop on his conversation with that guy last night?”  
  
Daniel turned to stare at Minhyun, surprised. After he had seen Jihoon safely arrive back at the resort, he had returned straight to his room. “Eavesdrop? What conversation?”  
  
Minhyun peered at Daniel in confusion. “You mean you didn’t hear some guy tell him that they had to return because of some new job or something?” As Daniel shook his head, Minhyun’s brow creased even more in confusion. “Then how did you know he checked out?”  
  
At that question, Daniel turned away, his earlier misgiving about the evening before returning. But something about what Minhyun had said seemed to bug him. Who was that man he had been talking to and what was that ‘new job’? Suddenly, the door to the restaurant finally opened and Daniel stood, smiling as he clapped his hands together.  
  
“Why don’t we go get some breakfast? I’m starving!” he said as he then walked over to enter the restaurant.  
  
Minhyun watched him walk off, a curious look in his eyes as he soon followed. Once inside, he decided to drop the topic. If anyone was good at keeping secrets, it was Daniel.

 

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**tbc.**


	16. Chapter 16

**_\- 7 Years Ago -_ **

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Daniel entered the Orphanage in a hurry, his heart beating wildly in panic as he looked for the library. He ran towards the right wing of the building where it was located, coming across a large crowd as the sound of crashing and yelling emanated from within the room. Pushing his way through the crowd, he came to stand beside two of the Sisters, Minhyun  & Woojin, Seungwoon.  
  
“How did this happen?” asked Daniel, peering at his friends before glancing at the closed door. The sound of something heavy falling was heard and Minhyun had to restrain Daniel from jumping into the room.  
  
“No one meant to tell him… We were all just discussing the news on TV when he accidentally overheard us. We didn’t know it was them…” replied Minhyun with a slight pang of guilt.  
  
Daniel turned to glare angrily at Minhyun when the door suddenly opened and Sister Emily emerged, hurriedly closing the door behind her as something collided into it on the other side. She closed her eyes for a second, slowing down her breath before making her way over to the group.  
  
“That guy is completely hysterical at the moment. He won’t listen to a word I say.” She then noticed Daniel and their eyes connected. “It is probably best to leave him alone for now, Daniel. I suggest we let him calm down by himself first.”  
  
Daniel continued to gaze back at Sister Emily, his eyes reflecting his unwavering determination. “I don’t think we should. He may do something even more drastic if he’s left alone. Please, Sister Emily; let me go in and have a talk with him. I’m sure I can get him to calm down.”  
  
They continued to stare at one another in silence before Sister Emily turned away, heaving a small sigh. “Alright, Daniel; I’ll let you go in. But be careful for he isn’t his usual quiet self.”  
  
Daniel gave a small assuring smile at the Sister as Minhyun finally released him. “Do take care, ,” said Minhyun and Daniel nodded back at him.  
  
Slowly, Daniel opened the door to the library, the heavy wood creaking gently. Inside it had become quiet and he stepped into the destroyed library, turning to close the door gently behind him. That was when Daniel heard a loud thud beside him and he flinched back as he saw the book which had missed his head by an inch land on the floor. He spun around on the spot, seeing Jihoon stand behind an upturned desk, a slight look of shock on his tear stained face.  
  
“Euigeon…” whispered Jihoon quietly.  
  
“Jihoonie…” said Daniel, as he took a step forward.  
  
The look on Jihoon’s face suddenly grew hard and he disappeared behind the desk only to emerge with another book in his hands. “You’d better get out of here now before I throw this book at you, Euigeon,” he said coldly, raising the book above his head.  
  
“JIHOON,” pleaded Daniel once more, taking a cautious step towards him. He paused as he saw he move his arm back further. “Jihoonie… listen to me. There’s no point in throwing a tantrum like this. Why don’t we calmly talk about everything?”  
  
Jihoon continued to stare at Daniel, his mouth slowly curving into a sadistic smile. “Talk about it? What is there to talk about? Those – those fiends – are now free! They managed to escape three murders, all because of the help of some gang!” His face suddenly transformed into a tormented sneer as he glared at Daniel. “There is no justice in this world, EUIGEON, so there is every reason for me to throw a tantrum.”  
  
he threw the book at Daniel, and he hopped back as it landed at the spot his feet had been only moments ago. Jihoon disappeared back behind the desk, rising up with yet another book which he then threw at a window. The glass shattered, raining down onto the grass outside. Once more he disappeared behind the desk and Daniel used this time to run over to him, arriving just as he stood.  
  
“Jihoonie, stop it!” he commanded, reaching out to wrestle the book from his hands.  
  
Jihoon refused to let go and the two continued to struggle until he managed to knock Daniel into one of the desk’s upturned legs. He let out a shout of pain as he released his grip on the book, falling to the ground as he gripped his side. Jihoon immediately dropped the book, taking several small steps backward as he shook his head in denial.  
  
“I didn’t do it… I didn’t do it…” he continued to mumble, retreating back against the wall.  
  
Daniel looked up, steeling his mind as he tried to block out the pain. ''Jihoonie… it’s alright… I’m okay. See?” He smiled at Jihoon, crawling onto his knees.  
  
By now Jihoon was pressing himself further back into the wall, sliding to the ground as he continued to shake his head, still mumbling the same phrase over and over again. Daniel made his way over slowly, trying not to startle him. When he reached his side, his feet were still sliding against the floor as he continued to retreat. His eyes did not register his presence, seemingly lost in some dark part of his mind. Tentatively, Daniel reached out a hand to comfort him but had to bring it back when Jihoon let out an angry grunt.  
  
“Jihoonie!” shouted Daniel in panic as he was then kicked back by Jihoon who was now wildly attacking the air around him.  
  
“Get off me! Get away from me! Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!” Daniel watched on in horror as Jihoon flailed around wildly, unable to get close lest he be clobbered by him. His head and arms connected with the wall and desk, blood soon running from his self-inflicted wounds. he then stopped his thrashing as he noticed the blood and his eyes widened even more in fear. “Blood… blood… there’s blood everywhere…” he rubbed at his arms, trying to wipe away the blood but only succeeding in opening his wounds further. “Get it off me… blood… I didn’t do it…”  
  
As Daniel watched him carefully, he realized that Jihoon was reliving the moment when his mother must have murdered his stepfather. Seeing him try to rub his own blood from his arms, Daniel lunged towards him and grabbed both his wrists to stop him. Jihoon looked up into his face and began to thrash around wildly once more.  
  
“Let go of me!” he shouted, but this time Daniel refused to let go of Jihoon, pulling him in close for a tight embrace. His head began knocking against the wall and he pulled him away from it, tightly holding his head down into his shoulder. They stayed like that for several more minutes, the time they were embraced together in that way seeming like an eternity. Daniel felt the corner of his eyes burn as Jihoon began to calm down in his arms, tears escaping their hold as they made their way down his cheeks. He had never dreamed of seeing Jihoon like this, finally realizing the intensity of the pain he kept hidden deep within his mind.  
  
Slacking his hold on Jihoon slightly, he gently patted his head as he sobbed into his shoulder. He began rocking him back and forth, continuously stroking the back of his head as he then began to sing a lullaby he remember his mother singing to him whenever he had a nightmare, his voice cracking slightly.  
  
“The wind…  
Is blowing coldly… tonight…  
It will soon…  
Be replaced by… morning’s warmth…  
Bringing forward…  
A new day… of hope…  
And I’ll be waiting…  
To… help… you… through.”  
  
Daniel continued to hum the lullaby and Jihoon sobs eventually quietened, much to Daniel’s relief. He then began to nuzzle the edge of his chin against Jihoon hair, closing his eyes as he imagined feeling Jihoon pain. “You are not alone in this world, Jihoonie… you have me here. Remember that.”  
  
Not receiving any response from Jihoon, he peered down into his face to see that he had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Smiling sadly, he picked him up and carried him out of the library. Everyone was still gathered outside and they peered at him as he emerged carrying the sleeping Jihoon in his arms. The Sisters moved forward to take him from him but he shook his head, signaling they should not try to. They then led the way to one of the spare rooms in the Sisters’ quarter of the orphanage, deciding that it would perhaps be for the best if he was isolated from everyone else. Daniel gently laid him down on the bed, carefully adjusting him so that he was as comfortable as possible.  
  
One of the younger Sisters soon entered the room, carrying a bowl of warm water, a towel and some bandages. She made her way over to the bedside table, placing the items down. “You can leave him now, Daniel. I’ll take care of him for you,” said the Sister in a soothing voice.  
  
Daniel continued to stare at Jihoon, gently stroking his face as he tightly held his hand. “I’m staying,” he replied in a voice that said he would not be swayed otherwise. The Sister smiled sadly at his response before turning to dip the towel in the bowl.  
  
“Very well; then you can help me dress his wounds.” She then proceeded to gently wipe the congealed blood on Jihoon’s arms. Daniel saw him sleeping face flinch slightly in pain and he gripped his hand tightly.  
  
“Please be more gentle, Sister,” said Daniel, clearly worried for Jihoon. The Sister nodded and then continued, this time even more carefully.  
  
It took them some time to finish treating Jihoon’s wounds. All through the procedure, Jihoon remained quietly asleep, obviously exhausted from the day’s. The Sister finally stood, picking up the bowl which now carried the cold, red water. “You should also take a Minhyun and have something to eat, Daniel. Your clothes are covered in blood.”  
  
Daniel shook his head, looking up at the Sister with a reassuring smile. “I’m fine. I don’t want to leave Jihoon’s side. You don’t have to worry about me.”  
  
The Sister smiled back at him in an understanding way. “Jihoonie won’t be going anywhere for sometime, Daniel. You really should take a couple of minutes to clean up and grab something to eat. Then you can come and stay by his side after.”  
  
Daniel glanced back over at Jihoon before letting out a sigh. “Alright… I’ll do as you say, Sister.” He then lightly squeezed Jihoon’s hand once more before placing it down onto the bed. With one last look at him as he stood to leave, he then followed the Sister out of the room, still feeling a little anxious at leaving Jihoon all by himself.

  
It took Daniel a little longer than he thought to get cleaned up and grab a quick dinner before heading back to Jihoon’s side. For one thing, everyone constantly tried to corner him, refusing to let him go unless he answered their endless questions. Luckily, Minhyun and the both of them came to his rescue, creating a sort of guard to help Daniel up into their room where Minhyun leant him a new change of clothes. The way to the dining hall was just as hectic, the kids still refusing to forsake their curiosity. Daniel put up with it for as long as he could, finally ending the incessant questioning by shouting at them to leave him alone. That sent most of the kids running but a brave few lingered around, still watching at a distance.  
  
Minhyun noticed that Daniel had seemed to be limping slightly when he walked, absently clutching the side of his hip with a slight wince of pain. “Are you alright,?” he asked after seeing Daniel flinch slightly from the pain as he sat.  
  
Daniel nodded his head, smiling back at Minhyun. “I’m fine, Minhyun,” he said reassuringly. “I’m more worried for Jihoon.”  
  
The twins exchanged a glance with one another, their eyes Showing that they were concerned for their Hyung. They then turned to look at Minhyun, who also seemed to be worried at this lack of care Daniel had for himself. Deciding to let him be, they all proceeded to eat in silence.  
  
Daniel arrived outside Jihoon’s room as soon as he finished eating. Slowly, he opened the door, receiving a small shock as a gust of cold air met him, the curtains of the open window fluttering quietly. But what he was even less prepared for was the sight of the empty bed which lay before him.

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_**tbc .** _


	17. Chapter 17

**_\- 7 Years Ago -_ **

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It was getting late as Jihoon wandered the streets, ignoring the throbbing pain in his head and along his arms. He walked along blindly, detached from his surroundings as he wondered what to do next. Earlier, he had woken alone in bed, an unfamiliar roof looking back down at him. He could not remember how he had gotten there, his memory failing him as he tried to recall what had happened after he threw Daniel into the table. As he sat up in bed and noticed the wounds on his body for the first time, he realized that he must have had a psychotic episode like the time his mother had just been killed. However, in his last tantrum, he did not manage to hurt anyone but himself yet this time, he had injured Daniel, someone he now suddenly realized that he truly cared about. Jihoon came to the conclusion that he could not stay at the orphanage any longer, lest he injure him or anyone else unintentionally. Crawling out of bed, he made his way over to the window and slid it open, jumping the small distance down onto the gravel path that ran alongside the building. With one last look back up at the window, Jihoon had run off as fast as he could with his injuries.  
  
He came to a stop now at the corner of a busy night district, the streets buzzing with hardcore clubbers and fun seekers alike. The vibrant neon lights of the various clubs and bars illuminated the slowly darkening sky, bringing to life another way of living. Jihoon proceeded down the street, glancing with little interest at the people he passed. He felt a slight sense of loathing for the way these people seemed to live life without a care in the world. The way they abused drugs and alcohol, shouting together in glee or breaking into violent fights, drunken men pursing the skimpily dressed bargirls, who themselves allowed the men to harass them. Jihoon wondered whether his mother had put up with this kind of behavior when she had the same occupation, only tolerating the harassment just so she could feed her son and good-for-nothing husband.  
  
The thought of his mother brought up another rush of pain and sadness, mingled with a strong sense of hatred. He thought back to what he had found out earlier today, about the one who had murdered his mother being set free. That only served to fuel his rage even further. His eyes blinded with fury, he did not see the man who suddenly emerged from a bar next to him, swaying drunkenly before he fell onto him.  
  
“YAA you there cutie… Yous a small one tonight... hic! Whaddya say we goes and gets downs and dirtys with it, huh? Name your p-rice, hic!” slurred the man with a leering smile, gripping Jihoon in a tight hug.  
  
Jihoon steadily began to grow panicked and he began to thrash in the drunken man’s tight grip. “Let go of me, you bastard! I’m no goddamn gigolo! Let go of me, you pedophile!” he exclaimed.  
  
At Jihoon’s last word the man loosened his grip on him, squinting down at him as he tried to see him properly. “Paedophile? Yous underage?” He then gripped him tightly again with a foolish smile. “Don’t try to lies to me, boy, hic! Whats a cutie doing ons da street ifs he don’ts wanna ? Don’ts worry, ‘kay boy? Papa heres will takes good cares of yous. And ifs your first times, Papa will doubles the amount!” The man continued to laugh drunkenly as he began to drag Jihoon along with him.  
  
“No!” shouted Jihoon, growing panic. He began throwing all his strength against the man, kicking and punching him where possible. He even gave the man a hard punch on the area which earned a large shout of pain from the man, but he retaliated with a slight punch to his solar plexus, winding him.  
  
Jihoon fell limp in the man’s arms, groaning as he clutched his abdomen in pain. The man pulled him up to face him by the hair, opening the wounds he had inflicted on himself earlier. “Stupid ! Now I’m pissed. Yous not gonna get a cent once I’ms done withs yous!” spat the man.  
  
He then hefted Jihoon over his shoulder and was about to walk unsteadily over to the edge of the path to hail a cab when something suddenly rammed into his back, sending both him and Jihoon falling onto the ground. The man released Jihoon, peering around him to see why he had been knocked to the ground.  
  
“Whadda hell happens?” he shouted, his eyes coming to rest on a young man standing nearby in a black suit, peering down at him with a cold glare. The drunken man pointed up at this newcomer. “Did yous do its? Whadda hell you dos that for, you bastard?”  
  
Jihoon stirred in his spot a small distance away, having recovered slightly from being winded and from the fall he suffered. Blood was oozing out of his wounds, slowly soaking the bandages that covered the length of his arms. He peered up just in time to see the young man throw a kick into the drunken man’s face, connecting with his chin. The young man then spat into the man’s face before strolling over to Jihoon.  
  
“Men like you should not even breathe in this world,” said the man coldly over his shoulder. He crouched down beside Jihoon and he peered up into the guy’s face, glaring at him suspiciously. “Are you alright, ?” he said, studying him through cold eyes.  
  
Jihoon continued to stare at the man, who seemed to be slightly older than Daniel, perhaps a year older or two. He then nodded slightly and the guy’s face suddenly transformed into a bright smile.  
  
“Good! Then you can take care of yourself from here. I have more pressing matters that I have to deal with first.”  
  
The man then patted his head and his glare soon became a look of confusion as he wondered at his sudden change in attitude. As he was about to stand up, Jihoon noticed that the drunken man had gone to pick up one of the bar’s sidewalk signs and was now charging straight at him. Jihoon pulled the man down beside him, rolling along with him as they dodged the drunken man’s attack. He felt something hard hanging from the side of the young man’s hip and him hand travelled down to wrap around it as he realized it was a gun. Pulling it out of its holster, he took aim at the drunken man who was getting ready to try and hit them with the sign once more.  
  
It was as if everything was in slow motion. Jihoon’s mind was absolutely clear as his finger slid onto the trigger, the surrounding noise reducing to a faint buzz. The only sound his mind managed to register was the crack of gunpowder as the bullet was fired, lodging itself straight into the man’s heart. As soon as the first blood flew from his chest, everything around Jihoon returned to its normal state and he continued to stare at the man, shocked at what he had just done.  
  
“Shit,” swore the young man who had saved him. He stood up onto his feet, pulling Jihoon up with him. “We’ve got to get out of here.”  
  
He led him away, shoving his way through the crowd as Jihoon allowed him to drag him along, his mind numb from shock. He had done it again. He had killed someone again. The blood from a wound he had caused was spilling once more. His hand suddenly grew limp and he dropped the gun.  
  
The man stopped running as he heard the gun clatter to the floor, a mobile at his ear. He hung up while rolling his eyes as he bent to pick up the gun. “Geez, boy; you don’t leave the evidence behind for the police to find. Idiot,” he snapped, returning the gun to his holster.  
  
Jihoon peered up at the man and he could see that he was truly frightened at what he had just done. He suddenly felt sorry for him. “Why are you trying to help me?” he asked in a small voice.  
  
He let out an exasperated sigh as he reached out to grab his hand and drag him along once more. “There’s no time to explain. Let’s just get going. A car is waiting around the corner.”  
  
Jihoon pulled his hand out of the man’s grip. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” he said, staring back up at the man defiantly. It was as if all the shock of having just killed a man had instantly disappeared from his eyes. The man smiled down at his foolish courage.  
  
“Alright then, fine. I don’t have to drag you along with me. Just stay here and wait for the cops to arrive. You just walk right up to them and ask them to handcuff you straight away.” He then turned around and began walking off, counting down from five within his head. As he reached one, he stopped walking and turned to look at Jihoon who was still standing in the same spot, staring back at him. “Well? Are you coming or not?”  
  
Jihoon continued to stare at him, before saying, “Then tell me: Who are you?”  
  
The man grinned widely, looking away as he shook his head. “You sure are suspicious, kid.” He then turned to look back at Jihoon. “My name is Ong Seong woo. Now can we get going? The driver is going to be wondering where I am.”  
  
Seongwoo mumbled something else under his breath, but it was too quiet for Jihoon to hear. he continued to gaze at him, trying to size him up but he didn’t have much time left as the sound of sirens in the background could be heard. Seongwoo heard them also and he rushed over to Jihoon’s side, grabbing him roughly and dragging him around the corner.  
  
“Shoot, they’re already here. I thought Lao said we had at least another fifteen minutes, the unreliable bastard. Come on, into the car you go,” he said as he opened the door to a black limousine and threw Jihoon into the backseat, following in quickly behind him.  
  
Jihoon sat up properly in his seat as the limousine pulled out. “I thought you said this was a car…” His voice trailed off as he then noticed the other occupants of the vehicle.  
  
One was an older man, who seemed to be staring at Jihoon with mild interest, a deep sadness in his eyes as he then turned away. The other was a guy who seemed to be roughly the same age as him, glaring back at him with a mixture of disgust and hatred. He then shifted his gaze over to Seongwoo, still glaring coldly.  
  
“What trouble have you brought upon us this time, Seongwoo?” said the guy, his voice commanding authority over the older man. “You were supposed to be looking for father.”  
  
Seongwoo smiled back lazily. “Oh, I was doing just that, but…” He then shrugged. “I guess I just felt like being a hero, Master Guanlin.” He then nodded in the old man’s direction. “But it seems you did not need my help after all.”  
  
Guanlin glared at Seongwoo, his right eye twitching slightly with suppressed rage. “You felt like being a hero? Seongwoo, this is not the best time to crack jokes. You just brought a horde of goddamn police officers into our territory. Don’t you think you should be a little less cocky and show some remorse?”  
  
Seongwoo continued to smile at the young master, jerking his thumb casually in Jihoon’s direction. “Technically, it was him who brought the cops in. he took my gun and shot the bastard who was assaulting him.”  
  
The older man suddenly turned away from the window, glancing at Jihoon with a renewed interest as he studied him intensely. Their eyes met and he continued to stare him off before he averted his eyes, growing slightly frightened at the intensity of his gaze. Guanlin watched the exchange with some annoyance, his brows furrowing slightly.  
  
“What is it, Father?” he asked, peering at the guy which had caught his father’s interest.  
Minsoo leaned forward, still staring at Jihoon. “Did you really just kill that man?” he asked in a soft voice which threatened to send shivers down his spine. He peered up at Minsoo before glancing away, not answering. A mysterious smile erupted on his face as he leant back in his chair.  
  
“What is your name?” he asked.  
  
It was nearly a minute before Jihoon decided that he should reply. “Jihoon.was all that he said.”  
  
Guanlin stared at his father, growing slightly worried. He hadn’t seen his father show this much emotion in nearly a year since his mother had passed away. Seongwoo also stared at his boss, wondering what was going through the old man’s mind. Whenever he had seen that smile on Jin Young’s face in the few years he had been working for the man, it never meant anything good for his enemies.  
  
The limousine finally arrived outside the gates to a large mansion and as the occupants waited in silence for the gates to swing open, Minsoo suddenly said to Jihoon, “Welcome to the maroo Mansion, jihoon… our newest member of the Syndicate.”

  
Daniel had been wandering the streets for hours, figuring that Jihoon would not be at the hut because that would be the most logical place anyone would look. He knew Jihoon wasn’t stupid enough to go and hide in a place like that. Minhyun and the twins followed him closely, also searching the streets for any sign of Jihoon. But they had long given up any hope of finding the boy, only following along out of loyalty to their older brother.  
  
They walked down a street that looked the same as all the others and Minhyun decided that they had searched for long enough. He went to grab Daniel’s arm, spinning him around to face him.  
  
“YAA, it’s getting late. I don’t think we’ll be able to find him tonight.”  
  
Daniel pulled his arm roughly out of Minhyun’s grip as he proceeded down the street. “We will find him. You don’t have to search for him if you don’t want to. Just leave me alone.”  
  
This time, Seungwoon was the one to stop him, running to block his path. “Minhyun’s right, Hyung. We’ve been looking for him for hours. If he wanted us to find him, we’d have found him by now. But we haven’t. Who knows where he’s gone by now?”  
  
Daniel glared at Seungwoon, shoving him roughly out of the way. “I don’t care. I’m not going to stop searching for him. So get lost if you don’t want to help.”  
  
Woojin then spun Daniel around, throwing a punch into his face. “Have you gone mad, Hyung? I can’t believe that you’ve gone all crazy over that lunatic of a boy, crazy to the point that you’re even lashing out at us, your brothers Hyung!”  
  
Daniel glared back at Woojin, licking the corner of his split lip as he wiped it with his thumb. He let out a sad laugh as he glanced down at the blood on it. “You’re right, Woojin… I have gone crazy. I don’t quite understand it myself but I know I can’t leave Jihoonie out there all by himself. I have to protect him.” He stared at his three friends, meeting their each of their eyes for a full minute before he turned to continue walking down the street.  
  
Something suddenly connected with the back of his head and he was sent into a dark abyss. The last thing he heard was Minhyun apologizing and saying something about hitting his head being for his own good. Then he heard no more.

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**_tbc._ **


	18. Chapter 18

7 years ago -

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“I object, Abuji!” shouted GuanLin at the old man as they stepped into the mansion’s front hall. “How can you let some scruffy kid –  ‘BOY’, at that – join our organization?” He turned to glance at Jihoon in disgust, but he did not notice as he was busy admiring the large house.  
  
Minsoo turned around to face his son, still smiling that dangerous smile of his. “That is exactly why he should join our organization. Just look at him! You would not think that this boy has just killed someone in cold blood with his look his eyes his espression, especially in his current state.”  
  
Hearing Minsoo voice out his crime sent Jihoon’s blood cold. His face immediately paled and he started to step away.  
  
“Father, you are in no state to make such drastic decisions! Only minutes ago you were drowning yourself in a bottle of whiskey!” GuanLin continued to shout at his father.  
  
The smile on Minsoo’s face began to fade and he glared back down at his son, taking a menacing step closer towards him. GuanLin’s defying gaze began to slightly waver as his father approached him. “You dare to challenge my authority?” said Minsoo in a threatening voice. “GuanLin, a boy who only recently turned fifteen, wants to challenge me, Minsoo, leader of the Syndicate?” He suddenly reached forward to grab GuanLin by the collar. “Perhaps I have allowed you a little too much free reign in the past year I have been neglecting the Syndicate. I think it’s time you remember that while I may be your father, I am above all else your boss and you must listen to my orders. Am I clear, GuanLin?”  
  
GuanLin swallowed nervously as he averted his eyes from his father. He nodded his head and Minsoo suddenly released his son. “Good. Now-”  
  
Minsoo turned to look at Jihoon, but he was no longer standing in the same spot. Instead, he had been gradually walking backwards towards the door, shaking his head slightly with a hint of panic in his eyes. “I didn’t do it… I didn’t kill them… I didn’t do it…”  
  
Everyone turned to stare at Jihoon, watching him carefully. Seongwoo, who had been standing off to the side, was now the closest next to Jihoon. He managed to hear part of what him was mumbling and he now furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Them? You’ve killed more than one person before?” he asked as he took a step closer.  
  
Jihoon looked up at Seongwoo, shaking his head furiously. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to… They… they wanted to hurt me… It was their fault…” He suddenly stumbled over his own feet and Seongwoo ran over to catch him.  
  
As soon as he touched him though, Jihoon let out an roar, beating against him wildly with his fists. Seongwoo jumped back in shock as he defended himself and covered his own ears, staring at him bewildered. Jihoon suddenly got up to his feet and ran out of the mansion, still surprised.  
  
“Someone catch him!” bellowed Minsoo over Jihoon’s roars as he then ran out after him, GuanLin and Seongwoo following closely behind.  
  
A dozen other members of the Syndicate suddenly appeared out of nowhere, heeding the call of their boss. One of the men managed to intercept Jihoon as he ran blindly down the driveway, each of them struggling to hold him as he thrashed wildly against them. Several others came to help and together they managed to half-drag, half-carry him all the way back to the entrance of the mansion.  
  
“Will someone figure out a way to calm him down?” shouted Minsoo.  
  
A man emerged from within the mansion, pouring some chloroform onto a handkerchief which he then covered over Jihoon’s mouth. His movements soon began to slow down as he inhaled the vapour, everything around him slowly becoming a blur. Before long, Jihoon was unconscious in the men’s arms.  
  
Guanlin sneered down at Jihoon from his spot beside Minsoo. “What do you think of your newest member now, Abuji?”  
  
Minsoo ignored his son, walking forward to peer at the sleeping Jihoon’s face. He brushed the his hair which clung to his face out of the way. “I still think he will become the Syndicate’s finest weapon.” He then turned around to glance at his son’s angry face before looking away to shout into the mansion, “Sunmi!”  
  
A rather large, middle aged woman came running out of the house, coming to a stop at the doorway as he stared at the sight before him, a little frightened. She had learned a long time ago that those who asked too much when the men in suits appeared, they would disappear, only to never be seen again. “You called for me, Master?” she asked in a shaky voice.  
  
Minsoo strolled over towards Sunmi. “Take Jihoon into one of our pre-prepared guest rooms. Get the other maids to prepare a proper room for him and take good care of the guy. Clean him up and once you’re done, stay by his side until he wakes. Bring him to me when he does.” He then continued walking past Sunmi, leaving her to carry out his orders.  
  
She bowed as he walked by and she stood up straight just in time to see Guanlin glaring at everyone in general before storming off after his father. Sunmi’s eyes then connected with Seongwoo’s and he just shrugged in return with a smile before he went over to take Jihoon from the other men.  
  
“I’ll take him now, guys.” He picked Jihoon up, carrying him in his arms. “Lead the way, Sunmi,” he said as he turned to face the maid.  
  
 nodded and began to totter off, Seongwoo following close behind. She led him towards the back of the mansion, where the smaller rooms for Minsoo’s unannounced guests were located and she opened the door to let Seongwoo carry Jihoon in. He went over to the plain single bed, placing Jihoon carefully down onto the sheets.  
  
Seongwoo stood beside the bed, looking down on Jihoon as Sunmi soon returned with a bowl of warm water and a towel. Another maid followed in behind, carrying some fresh bandages and a set of clothes. Stepping out of the way, Seongwoo allowed the maids to attend to Jihoon, watching the scene with a thoughtful look on his face. He wondered what could have happened to the guy in the past to trigger such an intense reaction. The bandages along his arms were being taken off by Sunmi and Seongwoo winced slightly as he saw the raw grazes that covered his arms. He had to admit, the guy was strong if he managed to fight bravely with those injuries. But then again, when one’s life is in danger an unusual strength generally surfaced as the adrenaline kicks in. Yet, he couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that he had still managed to put a bullet into a man. He recalled the image of him holding the gun above him, the way his face had become like a stone carving as he concentrated on taking aim at the drunken man. Perhaps Minsoo had sensed that side of Jihoon, which was why he had insisted on accepting him into the Syndicate.  
  
He let out a tired sigh, turning to walk over to the door. Pausing with his hand on the doorknob, he turned to say to Sunmi, “Do take care of him, Sunmi. And come find me when he wakes up.”  
  
Sunmi turned to glance at Seongwoo as he left, closing the door behind him. She then turned to look back down at the unconscious guy, absently chewing the inside of her lip. Although she burned with the curiosity to find out what was so important about the guy, she knew better than to go around asking carelessly. Sighing, she took the bandages from her maid and began to wrap Jihoon’s arms anew, feeling pity as she saw him flinch slightly in his sleep.

  
  
Daniel slowly regained consciousness several hours later to hear a bickering nearby.  
  
“You guys are all idiots! Why did you have to hit him on the head?” snapped Jaehwan.  
  
“We already explained to you that it was necessary, Jaehwan. You didn’t see how he was acting. We were afraid he might suddenly go crazy too so we needed to bring him back somehow,” explained Seungwoon in a tired voice, obviously having repeated the same story many times.  
  
“Somehow? And you couldn’t think of a better way than to whack him on the head with a piece of wood?”  
  
“Well… I have to admit it was probably not the best way but still… we managed to bring him back, right?” said Woojin  in a hopeful voice. He wished Jaehwan would just stop berating them already.  
  
Daniel then heard several fast footsteps and a chair suddenly creaking as it slid across the floor. He slowly opened his eyes to see that Jaehwan was holding Minhyun up by the collar, an angry look in the eyes. “Say something, Minhyun! You were the one who hit him, right?” he yelled at him quietly. Minhyun kept his eyes downcast, his face revealing nothing of what he was thinking.  
  
Seungwoon then suddenly stood up from leaning against the wall, pointing towards the bed. “Hey, look! Hyung’s awake!”  
  
Jaehwan immediately released Minhyun, running over to Daniel’s side. “, are you alright?”  
  
“Of course he’s alright. He’s awake, isn’t he?” snapped Seungwoon as he rolled his eyes. Jaehwan sent him a deathly glare.  
  
Daniel closed his eyes again, raising his hand to feel the slight bruise at the back of his head. “You are so going to pay for that, Minhyun,” he grumbled, trying to ignore the throbbing pain. He proceeded to sit up on the bed, Jaehwan helping him up. He then turned to stare at Minhyun, who was avoiding everyone’s face in the room. “But thanks, anyway,” said Daniel after nearly a minute.  
  
Jaehwan frowned a before turning to glare at Minhyun once more. “You’re thanking him?”  
  
Seungwoon snickered slightly as he leant back against the wall. “Well, unlike you, Jaehwan, Hyung has a little more sense and he understands the reasons behind what Minhyun did.”  
  
Jaehwan went over to slap Seungwoon painfully on the arm. “I wasn’t asking you, Seungwoon,” he snapped.  
  
Minhyun finally looked up, turning to face Daniel. “I’m really sorry, for doing what I did. I was just… desperate.”  
  
Daniel smiled reassuringly back at Minhyun. “I know. I was being a little unreasonable. That whack on the head really did knock some sense into me.” He then peered at the room around him, realizing that he was not at his house. “Where are we?”  
  
“You don’t remember the orphanage, Hyung?” asked Woojin, peering at Daniel in disbelief. He then turned to look at Minhyun with a crooked smile. “It looks like you may have hit him a little too hard on the head after all, Minhyun.”  
  
Minhyun grabbed a magazine which was on the table beside him and threw it at Woojin, but it fluttered feebly through the air, missing him. Woojin just laughed. “Shut up, you idiot.” Turning to look at Daniel he said, “They said that you can stay at the orphanage tonight and return back tomorrow. Jaehwan… is here because he insisted on looking after you.” He couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable saying the last sentence and he wondered why.  
  
Jaehwan skipped over to Daniel’s side, grabbing his arm with a big smile. “Jaehwan here to help you get better,!” he smiled up at him.  
  
The twins both made retching sounds at Jaehwan and he turned to throw deadly daggers with his eyes at them. They both immediately stopped the noises, gazing away with a small playful smile on their faces. Daniel grinned at the twins, shaking his head a little which reminded him of the throbbing pain at the back of his head.  
  
“I’m kind of getting a little tired here,” he said after a while.  
  
Minhyun was the first to stand up. “Then we’ll not bother you anymore.” He strolled over to Jaehwan and began dragging him away from the bed. “Come on, leave him alone. ‘’Jaehwan attempted to resist Minhyun, failing miserably. “But I want to stay by his side!” he whined as Minhyun managed to get him out the door.  
  
The twins made a face behind his back, snickering slightly. As Woojin, who was the last to leave, stepped out the door, he paused, turning back to say, “Don’t think about running out after Jihoon anymore okay, Hyung? Hitting you on the head just once makes us feel bad enough.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” replied Daniel as he rolled his eyes, lying back down on the bed and facing away from the door. When he heard the door click closed behind, he turned to peer over his shoulder to see that he truly was left alone in the room. Getting out of bed, he went to put his shoes on and walked over to the window, poking his head outside. He swore slightly under his breath when he saw that they had put him in a room on the second floor, so that he could not escape in the same way as Jihoon had.  
  
Pulling his head back inside, he then began to pace the length of the room, trying to recall all he could about the orphanage. It had been close to nearly a year since he had last lived within its walls and he could only sketchily recall the layout of the building. He then stopped pacing. It seemed that the only other way out of this room was through the door. Walking over to the door, he slowly opened it, peeking out into the hallway to see that no one was around. Stepping out, he quietly closed the door behind him and proceeded to make his way towards the back of the orphanage, where he recalled that there was a fire escape. The alarm on the door had been long broken, and he used to lead the others out on secret expeditions in the middle of the night while he had still lived in the orphanage.  
  
The entrance to the fire escape was deserted and Daniel rushed over to it, his heart beating furiously as he realized he was finally going to get out of there. As his hand connected with the door handle, he was suddenly stopped by a voice from behind.  
  
“I don’t think that would be a good idea, Hyung,” said Seungwoon from behind. Daniel spun around to see him leaning against the wall with a small smile and his arms crossed. “The alarm has just recently been fixed when one of the Sisters found one of the younger kids sneaking out.”  
  
Daniel stared at Seungwoon angrily, annoyed at having been caught. “What are you going to do now?” he asked bitterly.  
  
Seungwoon raised his eyebrows, still smiling. “Me? Nothing. I can’t do anything if you still insist on finding Jihoon, even after we’ve hit you on the head. There’s no point.” He then uncrossed his arms, putting his hands into his pockets as he turned to walk away. “I heard from someone though… apparently, the alarm on the boy’s fire escape has broken recently,” he said over his shoulder before he disappeared down the hallway.  
  
Daniel continued to stare after Seungwoon, a little surprised that he was now helping him. He then smiled slightly. “Thanks,” he said quietly before making his way over to the boys’s dorm.

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **


	19. Chapter 19

\- Seven Years Ago -

* * *

  
  
It was morning when Jihoon woke, the room bathed in an orange glow by the light that filtered in through the cream colored curtains. He groaned slightly, his hand going to his head as he felt his mind reel from the after-effects of the chloroform. Sunmi suddenly stirred from her spot by Jihoon, glancing around wildly as he tried to collect his thoughts. She then realized that Jihoon was awake and she rose up on her knees, peering down at the Boy with concern.  
  
“Are you alright, Mr?” she asked in a gentle voice. After hearing the Roar last night, she knew the Boy was in a fragile state of mind.  
  
“Where… am I?” asked Jihoon, peering around at his unfamiliar surroundings.  
  
Sunmi smiled down at the Boy, moving in to gently stroke his hair but Jihoon immediately pulled away from the woman with a frown. She seemed a little surprised by the Boy’s reaction but nevertheless continued to smile. “You are at Master’s mansion, MR,” she replied.  
  
“… Master?” repeated Jihoon, confused. he then remembered some of what had happened last night. he sat up straight, his eyes wide in panic as he clutched the bed sheets tightly. “I didn’t do it… No… I can’t stay here… I can’t…”  
  
Sunmi peered at Jihoon confused, wondering what the boy was mumbling about. She knew that now the Boy was awake, she would have to take him to see Minsoo but Jihoon didn’t seem to be in the right state of mind. “Mr… Are you alright?” she asked, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
Jihoon immediately shrugged the woman’s hand off,  “Don’t touch me!” he shouted, glaring at the woman angrily. Sunmi continued to look at him puzzled, before jumping to her feet as Jihoon suddenly bolted for the door, as fast as lightning.  
  
“Mr! Mr, where are you going?” she shouted, running after Jihoon in the corridor outside. The other maids and servants stirred from their tasks, watching in bewilderment as the head housekeeper chased after the scruffy boy. Jihoon, realizing that Sunmi was not going to give up chase anytime soon, began throwing anything he could find into the older woman’s path.  
  
“Mr!” shouted Sunmi in surprise as she narrowly dodged a flying vase. She continued after Jihoon, who then pulled a hall table over. “Mr! Please stop destroying the mansion!”  
  
They continued to run around for a while, Jihoon unable to find his way out of the big maze. He soon came to a stop, however, when someone suddenly stepped out in front him and picked him up into a bear hug. Sunmi soon arrived, panting from the exercise.  
  
“Thanks… Seong…woo .. No one… wanted… to… help… me…” huffed the old woman.  
  
Seongwoo smiled down at Sunmi as Jihoon struggled against him. “Yeah, most would probably want to stay away from this little tornado, but thanks anyway, Sunmi.” He then hefted Jihoon up onto his shoulder as he proceeded down the hallway.  
  
“Let go of me!” shouted Jihoon as he pounded his fists against Seongwoo’s back.  
  
Seongwoo chuckled. “Keep up with the great massage, Jihoon. I think you made me pull a muscle or two when we were running away last night.” He began walking up a staircase.  
  
Jihoon stopped him pounding, turning to glare as best she could at the back of Seongwoo’s head. “Let go of me this instant, Seongwoo. I cannot stay here.”  
  
“Ooh… I’m so scared,” mocked Seongwoo, waving his free hand in the air. He then reached the top of the stairs and was about to turn right when Jihoon suddenly began pulling on his hair. “Ow, ow, ow, ow!” he shouted, trying to untangle Jihoon’s hands from his hair. “Stop pulling my hair!”  
  
“Not until you let me go!” shouted Jihoon back at him. They continued to spin around on the spot, Jihoon pulling Seongwoo’s hair while he tried to pull his hands.  
  
Suddenly, a door further down to their left suddenly opened and Guanlin angrily emerged from within, still dressed in his blue satin pyjamas. “What the hell is going on here?” he shouted at the pair, both immediately stopping their fight as they turned to look at who had interrupted them.  
  
Seongwoo then smiled brightly at Guanlin, bowing his head slightly. “Master Guanlin. A ‘Good Morning’ to you, too. I am just carrying out Master Minsoo’s orders from last night to bring Jihoon to him as soon as he was awake.”  
  
Guanlin continued to glare at them, before retreating back into his room, the sound of his door closing echoing loudly. Jihoon felt Seongwoo shrug under his and he turned to continue down into the right hallway.  
  
“What does this “Minsoo” guy want with me so much?” snapped Jihoon, coming to the conclusion that Seongwoo was never going to let him go.  
  
Again, Jihoon felt Seongwoo shrug under him. “Beats me. But we’ll soon find out, won’t we?”  
  
They soon arrived at the end of the hallway and Seongwoo placed Jihoon onto the floor, gripping his shoulder tightly as he felt him try to run away again. Knocking on the door, they heard the voice of Minsoo permitting them to enter and Seongwoo opened the door, shoving Jihoon into the room.  
  
Jihoon glanced around at the large office, the walls adorned with shelves upon shelves of books, files and folders. It was decorated in the style of late 17th century Europe, the roof painted white and green wallpaper peeking out around the shelves. Minsoo sat behind his antique mahogany desk, a window at his back sporting a view of the extensive grounds of the mansion outside. He continued to sit behind his desk scribbling across a piece of paper, not looking up once as Seongwoo steered Jihoon into a seat before him. He was surprised to see that he seemed to be working so early in the morning.  
  
The sound of Minsoo’s pen scratching across the document was the only sound in the room, apart from the ticking of a golden skeleton clock, the gears within clicking quietly as the seconds crawled by. After exhausting his interest in the clock ten minutes later, Jihoon glanced back up at Minsoo to see that he was still busily studying the documents before him. About to say something, Jihoon noticed Seongwoo shake his head slightly, indicating that he should continue to remain quiet and wait for Minsoo to finish what he was doing. Glancing back one more time at the Syndicate leader, he then crossed his arms, leaning back against his chair to glare at his surroundings.  
  
He didn’t know what was wrong with this old man. Why was he making him wait? He was the one who wanted to see him, right? Shouldn’t he just stop that incessant scratching and finally get on with whatever it was that he wanted? And why was he even waiting for him? he didn’t want to be here and he knew he should get as far away as possible from this strange place, lest they decide to turn him in to the police.  
  
Deciding that he’d truly had enough of this waiting game, Jihoon stood up and turned to leave. Seongwoo was about to step forward and bring him back when Minsoo finally stopped writing and put his pen down. Jihoon came to a stop just as he reached the back of his chair.  
  
“So that is the limit of your patience, Jihoon  ,” he said in a calm voice. Jihoon turned around to see that he was now staring at him. He turned to glance at the clock on his desk. “Twenty-two minutes. Not bad for a 12 year old.”  
  
Jihoon suddenly looked shocked to hear that the man knew his age. A small smile spread across Minsoo face.  
  
“You seem surprised. It really isn’t unusual for a man in my position to have access to this kind of information.” He then pressed a button on the intercom beside him. “Bring up a pot of tea along with some morning snacks,” he ordered before returning to look at Jihoon, indicating the seat he had just vacated. “Return to your seat. We can have proper breakfast after our conversation.”  
  
Jihoon continued to study Minsoo through suspicious eyes, wondering how much the old man really did know about him. The possibility that he knew who truly killed his stepfather was slim, yet Jihoon could not ignore it and that was what frightened him the most. He began to analyzed his surroundings, hoping to find a possible means of escape if he really did know.  
  
Minsoo seemed to know what Jihoon was thinking and he smiled knowingly. “Is there something you’re afraid of me knowing, Jihoon? Or are you afraid that I am going to hand you over to the police after sheltering you for the whole night?”  
  
His second question seemed to ignite a spark of curiosity in him and he returned to the chair. In order to avert attention from the first, Jihoon suddenly asked, “Why aren’t you handing me over to the police? You… you know what I did…” His voice trailed off as he began to grow agitated again, remembering himself his unforgivable crime.  
  
Fearing that Jihoon would perhaps collapse into another tantrum, Minsoo hurriedly assured him. “Killing a bad person isn’t such a bad thing, Jihoon. He was out to hurt you. You did the most logical thing in trying to stop him, and it just so happens that killing the man was the right thing to do.”  
  
Jihoon peered up at Minsoo, confusion in his eyes. Their eyes connected for a second and he wasn’t able to fathom out what the older man was thinking. He averted his gaze, chewing his bottom lip as he thought over his words. True, those two men he killed were out to hurt him, but was it truly alright? Was he right in cutting their lives short, extinguishing their pitiful existence from this world?  
  
A knock on the door sounded and a maid entered, carrying a pot of tea and three mugs, along with a platter of sweet and savory croissants on a silver tray. She gently laid these out on the desk before bowing slightly as she left.  
  
“Come join us, Seongwoo,” said Minsoo, waving the man over. Seongwoo bowed, moving to lift a chair over to Jihoon’s side.  
  
“Thank you, Master ,” said Seongwoo in a respectful voice. Jihoon glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. It was the most reserved he had seen him yet.  
  
Jihoon turned his attention back to the delicacies before him, the aroma of the warm croissants wafting up to make his mouth water. He suddenly realized that it had been close to nearly twenty-four hours since he had last eaten anything.  
  
Minsoo noticed the way Jihoon was staring at the food and he couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. “Feel free to eat as much as you want, Jihoon. There’s more if you want them.”  
  
Jihoon glanced up at Minsoo suspiciously before returning his gaze down at the croissants before him. The aroma was becoming hard to resist and before long, Jihoon caved in to his growing hunger pangs. He picked up a plain croissant and stuffed it into his mouth hungrily. Minsoo began pouring him some tea with a smile as he took another into his mouth.  
  
“It seems you have worked up quite an appetite, Jihoon. Care to tell us how you managed to achieve it?” he asked.  
  
Jihoon stopped midway through biting a chocolate croissant, the look in his eyes suddenly growing distant. He then finished off the croissant, but with a little less vigor than before. Wiping his hands on a serviette, he then took the tea Minsoo had offered him.  
  
Both Seongwoo and Minsoo continued to stare at him, expecting Jihoon to reveal his story to them any minute. Yet he continued to sit there, staring into his mug as he waited for the liquid to cool before gently sipping the warm contents. The two men then exchanged a small glance with one another, before turning back to stare at Jihoon, wondering how they could earn the boy’s trust enough so that he would confide in them.  
  
Seongwoo suddenly placed a hand on Jihoon’s shoulder, startling him out from the depths of his mind. “Jihoon… it’s okay if you don’t want to tell us anything yet. But believe me when I say this: we are on your side. No matter what it is, we will try to help you. Don’t try to shoulder the world’s problems by yourself.”  
  
Even though Jihoon did not look up to meet Seongwoo’s gaze, his grip on his mug visibly tighten and he took it as a sign that he had at least heard what he’d said. Letting out a small sigh, he then took one of the croissants from the plate. “Have another one of these, Jihoon,” he said as he took a bite out of the one he had. “They’re as good as always.”  
  
Jihoon didn’t move, still clenching his mug tightly. Then he spoke. “I… I found out that… my… my mother’s murderer… was released from jail yesterday after her gang interfered with the case.”  
  
Seongwoo and Minsoo shared another glance of surprise, before turning back to Jihoon. “Are you talking about the women of the Gang, the woman who was charged with the murders of two men and was released yesterday because there was not enough evidence?”  
  
“It was three murders,” said Jihoon in a deadly voice, his hands shaking slightly from the tight grip he had on his mug.  
  
“Three?” repeated Seongwoo.  
  
Jihoon turned to glare at Seongwoo with all the hate and anger he felt towards the woman in his eyes. “Yes, three. The bitch killed my mother while she was in jail but her death was never publicized. Perhaps the authorities were too embarrassed about it happening right under their stinking noses.”  
  
Seongwoo seemed shocked at the strength of Jihoon’s anger yet Minsoo appeared unfazed by it all. Instead, he seemed to be faintly pleased about it. “Your mother was sent to jail because she accidentally killed your stepfather while he attempted to rape you. Is that right, Jihoon?”  
  
Jihoon turned to glare at Minsoo, still burning with rage. “My mother was innocent! She would never even hurt a fly, let alone kill a bastard of man like him! She didn’t deserve to die the way she did! It was all my fault! I was the one who killed him, not her!” shouted Jihoon, standing up out of the chair as he dropped the mug to the floor.  
  
As soon as it crashed, Jihoon suddenly realized that he had let slip the very secret he had kept hidden for all these years. His eyes grew wide in panic as he glanced between the two men, turning to bolt for the door. He only made it several steps when Seongwoo managed to catch him, gripping his arms tightly as he tried to pull him back to his chair.  
  
“Let go of me! Let go of me!” shouted Jihoon, struggling valiantly against the bigger man. Yet Seongwoo managed to force him back into the chair.  
  
“We aren’t done with you yet, Jihoon,” said Seongwoo, holding him down as tightly as he could in the chair.  
  
They continued to struggle with one another until Minsoo suddenly slammed his hands on the desk. Jihoon immediately stopped, peering past Seongwoo to see that the older man had stood. Slowly, Minsoo strolled around the desk, coming to stand beside Jihoon. He then crouched down next to him, patting his head with a gentle smile.  
  
“How much longer will you continue to run away, Jihoon? The past isn’t something you can hide from, now is it?” Jihoon suddenly began to grow nervous at the way Minsoo seemed to be studying him without looking into his eyes. He suddenly stopped stroking his head, his hand going to his chin to turn him face to his. “ **What if I give you a way to defeat your past?** **A way to ease the guilt, to ease the pain of killing someone. What if I give you the means to eradicate the woman you despise so much, the woman who took away your beloved mother? What do you think about that, Jihoon?”**  
  
A glow seemed to emanate from within Minsoo’s eyes, a kind of intense passion that Jihoon found somewhat fearsome. Yet the promises he said in that quiet voice of his seemed to stir some dark desire for revenge within him, to no longer feel the guilt of being the one who killed those men. He wanted forget everything in his past and here was a man who offered to do just that. It seemed too good to be true.  
  
“What’s the catch?” asked Jihoon suddenly. Minsoo grinned.  
  
“The catch…? There’s none, really. All you have to do is come live here with me, as a member of the Syndicate. Throw away everything that was once Jihoon and start life anew. I will train you to forget everything you want to forget.”  
  
Jihoon continued to stare back at Minsoo, unable to move his face away from those intense eyes due to the grip Minsoo had on his chin. A troubled feeling gnawed at the pit of his stomach at what Minsoo’s words entailed but he ignored it, steeling his gaze to meet his. He swallowed the salvia in his mouth before saying, “Fine. I accept. Teach me to forget the pain of killing someone.”  
  
Grinning triumphantly, Minsoo then released his chin, returning to pat his head. “That’s a good boy. You won’t regret the decision you made today, I assure you.”  
  
Seongwoo had been holding Jihoon down in the chair all this time, only now just releasing him. He glanced between the two, an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Looking back at Jihoon, he wondered whether the Boy had done the right thing in accepting Minsoo’s proposal. He wondered whether he had even understood the details of what the boss was implying; that he was going to train him to be an assassin.

 

But there was nothing anyone could do now.

 

His fate was set.

 

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **


	20. Chapter 20

**_\- Present Day -_ **

* * *

 

  
Jihoon sat leaning against the edge of his desk, staring at the shelves that lay to the desk’s right as he thought over the details of his newest mission. Standing up, he walked over to the bookshelf closest to the window, his fingers feeling behind the edge where a small invisible hollow in the corner of the second shelf lay. His fingers connected with a small switch and the shelf suddenly clicked out of place, creaking slightly on its hidden hinges.  
  
He pulled the now unlocked door open, revealing a secret compartment filled with an assortment of weapons, from the latest guns to finest swords. Jihoon looked on at the guns in slight distaste, having never grown to like the crude weapons. He never understood why they loved to use them so much, for he despised the way they blew messy holes in people. It was also too simple for Jihoon, for one could just stand and hide behind a wall, shooting at their enemy all day rather than face them head on with a blade. He reached forward for his favorite pair of daggers, fastening their sheathes upside down to his forearms before sliding the thin blades in. They clicked into place where they would remain hidden under his sleeves until he flicked his wrist to release them.  
  
Gazing over the range of guns the compartment held, Jihoon picked his standard Colt M1911 from the group, ejecting the magazine to check that it was properly loaded. Although he despised guns, he had to admit that at times they were necessary. He picked up the gun’s holster and fastened it to the belt at his hip, placing in two spare loaded magazines in the spaces next to it. He then grabbed a short sword no longer than his forearm and fastened it to the other side of his hip before reaching for his last dagger which he hid fastened to his left calf. Although tonight’s mission appeared simple, Jihoon felt that he should still be prepared for the worst. A nagging feeling was gnawing away at the pit of his stomach, an unsettling premonition for the events to come.  
  
As he was about to close the compartment, Jihoon’s eyes fell onto one particular silver tin he kept hidden in the back corner, similar to all the others around it. However, instead of holding items necessary to care for this stock of weapons, it held the memories of the little boy Jihoonie. Reaching for it, he opened the tin and the musty smell of age wafted off the contents within.  
  
Everything was still the same as when he had last opened the box, almost 6 years ago. The cat toy, having dropped it the last time he pulled the box out. The handmade bear was still in good shape, locked in that tin for so long. Several bills were still left within the tin, a bitter reminder of the wallets he had stolen. But what caught his attention the most was the necklace Daniel had given his all those years ago. Picking it up, he then closed the lid and returned the box to the corner, holding the necklace up before his eyes. He continued to study the teeth pendant before him, suddenly deciding to pull it on. Ever since he had received the thing, Jihoon had not once worn the necklace for he feared that he would break it and lose it forever. But he didn’t care anymore; he wanted to wear it.  
  
Raising the cool glass to his lips, he closed his eyes as he remembered the kiss Daniel had unintentionally given him. He knew he must be feeling guilty that he had kissed a supposedly different man in a place he felt was sacred to him and Jihoonie. Yes… he understood how he felt… It wasn’t that he wanted to torment him, but how can someone who is believed to be dead suddenly reappear? How could he tell him that he was Jihoonie, the guy he missed so much? He would just glare at him in contempt when he found out what he truly was and the love he once had for his would become hate. Jihoon could not stand the hurt it would bring. No… he could never tell him. Not only would he scorn his but his life would be put in danger, for letting him know that he was Jihoonie would be the equivalent of telling him that he was ''Apollyon''. And that was what he feared even more.  
  
‘Fear…’ Jihoon’s lips curved in a bitter smile. He was supposedly a fearsome assassin, supposedly devoid of all emotion and able to kill without blinking an eye, yet here he was, experiencing the very emotion he instilled in those around him. How ironic, that an assassin finally fears to take someone’s life.  
  
Fate was cruel. And that was all there was to it.

 

Two men were waiting for Jihoon outside by the car, their hands in their pockets as they stared lazily around them. They straightened when they saw him arrive and a man the same height as Jihoon stepped forward.  
  
“My name is Donghan and that over there is Minki,” he said, pointing over at the other man who stared at Jihoon in arrogant disapproval.  
  
Jihoon studied the pair in silence. The two men were new faces to him and he found it unusual that Minsoo had decided to let him go with these two. Donghan seemed to be your average dull, obedient henchman and he could see that he accepted him for who he was. Minki, on the otherhand, was a younger man and he continued to glare at Jihoon with undisguised dislike. He had a feeling the man would be a little hard to work with, even if they were responsible for different things.  
  
“Seongwoo is caught up in some other business so Master sent us over instead. I hope you do not mind, Apollyon,” said Donghan, attempting to smile in a friendly manner. However, the smile soon faded from his face when Jihoon continued to stare at him coldly.  
  
Jihoon then proceeded to step into the backseat of the car, ignoring the glares he received from Minki. The men soon entered the car after him and Donghan started the engine, driving the three of them away from the Mansion.  
  
The hour long drive proceeded in silence, the two men in front constantly glancing at Jihoon seated in the back through the mirrors. Although it appeared that he was staring out the window, Jihoon nevertheless noticed their glances and inwardly scowled. This was why he didn’t like working with unfamiliar faces. He didn’t even like working with anyone at all for that matter. People who meet him for the first time as Apollyon seemed to underestimate his small appearance, doubting that he was the legendary assassin. And it was that very arrogant doubt that usually ruined his missions. But it was necessary for him to use accomplices tonight as his newest target lay hidden behind a fortress of the latest in security technology.  
  
They finally arrived outside a white modern styled mansion. Compared with Minsoo palace, this mansion seemed like a tiny house, covering perhaps only three acres. Donghan drove them past the front gate then into a side alley two streets down, where they finally came to a stop. It was then that Jihoon finally spoke.  
  
“Minki; how long will it take you to override’s security system?”  
  
Minki glanced back at Jihoon through his mirror. “About ten minutes. All I have to do is hack into their security mainframe and it should be a breeze from there.” He then continued to study Jihoon, smirking slightly. “I would have assumed the great Apollyon would have at least read the briefing prior to undertaking the mission.”  
  
Jihoon continued to glare at Minki, despising the man even more. “Then rather than explaining the whole process to me again, why don’t you get started?” he said in an even tone that barely masked his anger.  
  
The smirk on Minki’s face suddenly disappeared, turning into a small scowl. He then reached down in front him, picking up a laptop he had kept down there. Opening it, he then began typing furiously, seemingly with a little more force than was required. After eleven minutes, he suddenly stopped his typing with one final tap on his keyboard.  
  
“There. You now have roughly ten minutes before they realize what’s happened and another five after that before they manage to bring their system up again.” As he turned around to glance behind him at Jihoon, he was shocked to find that he had already disappeared.  
  
Donghan, noting the man’s look of surprise, turned to glance at the back seat. “He’s gone! When did he go?”  
  
Minki shook his head disbelievingly. “I don’t know.”

  
Jihoon was over the wall, his face covered by a black satin mask that hid the lower half of his face as he crouched behind a large shrub. A security guard strolled by, his radio cackling loudly with static. After he passed him, Jihoon hurriedly ran from behind the bush, treading softly all the way over towards the pool where he then lay low against the hedge that ran alongside it. Another pair of security guards jogged by and Jihoon briefly overheard them mention something about the cameras and lasers being down. He cursed silently under his breath at Minki 's lousy work. He had said that he had a total of fifteen minutes, but only three of those minutes had gone by. Now, he only had two choices: retreat or continue. If he was to retreat, Master would definitely be displeased with him and it would become harder to kill the man. However, if he were to continue, it would still be difficult as there seemed to be a dozen guards roaming the grounds. He closed his eyes and silently counted to three, finally coming to a decision.  
  
Once the two guards had disappeared, Jihoon ran over towards the back of the mansion where the kitchen was located. There, he quickly ran into the kitchen, speeding his way swiftly through into the main building beyond.  
  
He suddenly heard two guards talking around the corner in front, and Jihoon ducked into the storage cabinet beside him. When their heavy footsteps passed him, he then opened the door slightly, checking to see if anymore were coming. The coast clear, he stepped out and began to run off again, veering a sharp right as he silently ran up the steps.  
  
Contrary to what Minki had accused him, Jihoon had read the mission brief beforehand and he now had a map of the mansion imprinted into his mind. Just like when Minsoo had found out everything about Jihoonie, He had been able to find out everything about Baek II Sub. The man was a fairly stubborn business man, refusing to comply with his business partner’s decision to sell the company to a foreign investor. Apparently, the arguments had steadily begun to increase in hostility, thus resulting in Apollyon’s latest job. According to the information Minsoo had given him, Baek II Sub would have been in his study for another hour until 1 AM but since the guards have become suspicious, Jihoon guessed that he would now be locked down within his bedroom, perhaps with a bodyguard or two for protection.  
  
Jihoon hid behind the corner, noticing the guard he had thought would be there standing outside the door to Baek’s room. Flicking back his left wrist, he ejected one of his thin daggers and pulled it out with his right hand. Taking careful aim, he threw the dagger through the air, his aim perfect even in this gloom as it lodged itself in the man’s throat. Feebly, the man’s hands went to the dagger but he was dead before he even hit the ground with a thud. The door behind him suddenly opened and out emerged another man. But he was too slow to see Jihoon swipe his short sword across his throat, having barely enough time to even raise his gun to aim at him.  
  
He then had barely enough time to retreat back behind the wall when someone began firing shots at him. Swearing slightly under his breath at the noise, he reached for his gun and pulled it out, holding his short sword in his left. When a break in the shots appeared, Jihoon then rounded the doorway and began firing at a third bodyguard within. Then, still walking forwards, he located the old man leaning against the closet door, staring up in fear at the assassin who was approaching him. Without a second thought, Jihoon slashed the blade across his throat and the fear in his eyes was no more.  
  
As he was about to leave, Jihoon caught the faint sound of sobbing from within the room. Spinning on the spot to pinpoint the noise, he soon found that it came from inside the closet. Kicking his dead target out of the way, Jihoon threw open the closet doors to find Baek’s wife and his ten year old son holding each other tightly, sobbing furiously in one another’s arms. Caught off guard by the sudden image, Jihoon stumbled backward in stunned silence, dropping his short sword in the process. But he was not so out of it as to not notice the sound of footsteps pounding up the staircase outside. Picking up his short sword, Jihoon hurriedly went to remove his dagger from the first man he had killed and returned the two blades to their sheaths. However, while he was at the doorway, the first of the security guards had finally reached the top and they saw him, drawing out their guns to fire at his blindly. Jihoon quickly pulled his head back in, kicking the dead bodies out of the way to shove the door closed, locking it.  
  
During this time, the boy saw that Jihoon was now distracted so he broke out of his mother’s grip, furious with the grief of having just lost his father. he blindly jumped onto Jihoon’s back and began clawing at his face.  
  
“You monster! You killed ahbuji!” screamed the boy.  
  
Jihoon finally managed to throw the boy off his and he gave a firm slap to his face to calm him down. Luckily, his mask had remained tightly affixed to his face but a small glint in the boy’s hand suddenly caught his eye. It was the necklace Daniel had given him. The boy had managed to rip it from his hand.  
  
Noticing Jihoon’s eyes on his hand, the boy quickly hid the necklace behind his back as Jihoon lunged for it. Furious, Jihoon was about to lunge for it one more time when the guards began throwing themselves against the door. Glancing between the boy and the door, Jihoon closed his eyes in frustration as he made his second on-the-spot decision for the night. Hurrying over to the balcony, Jihoon managed to reach the rail and climb over it just as the guards broke the door down. As they stormed into the room, Jihoon was no longer nearby, having quickly lowered himself down by dropping nearly a meter above the ground after hanging from the bottom of the balcony.  
  
He quickly ran under the cover of the balcony as another volley of shots was sent down at him, stray bullets shattering the potted plants nearby. Jihoon then quickly ran along the path, heading towards the closest fence. Two guards suddenly appeared to cut him off and with a quick flick of his wrists he dispatched them with his hidden blades. Then, climbing up over the wall, Jihoon finally made his way up out of the mansion and sped all the way back to the car.  
  
Donghan and Minki turned around in surprise when he suddenly jumped into the back of the car, panting heavily from exertion. Glaring at the pair, he commanded, “Drive.”  
  
Without any hesitation, Donghan started the engine and soon they were speeding away down a quiet freeway. Jihoon suddenly moved forwards in his seat, gripping Minki roughly by the hair as he held his blood stained dagger to his throat.  
  
“I should kill you right now, you good for nothing son of a bitch,” he said in a deadly voice, his rage barely suppressed.  
  
Jinwoo glanced over warily at the scene next to him, swallowing nervously as he tried to crack a smile. “Hey… Why don’t we all try to relax, ? We shouldn’t kill each other now, should we?”  
  
“Shut up and keep driving unless you want me to slit your throat first,” snapped Jihoon without looking at the other man. He pulled his dagger in closer to Minki’s throat, drawing a small trickle of blood. “You said I had fifteen minutes. Why did they find out so soon?”  
  
Minki glanced nervously between Jihoon’s hand and his masked face. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he answered nervously.  
  
Jihoon’s eyes curved slightly in annoyance. “Wrong answer,” he said as he pressed the blade slightly closer. “Try again.”  
  
“I-I honestly don’t know!” he shouted, panicking. He was truly growing frightened of the man behind him. “May-maybe they were doing some kind of check and found out that the cameras were playing a loop!”  
  
Jihoon’s grip on his dagger tightened slightly as she then removed it from Minki’s throat, only to stab it into the hollow behind his right collar bone. He let out a painful shout as Jihoon finally released him and sat back in his seat.  
  
“Did you not anticipate such a thing? This was obviously a careless mistake on your behalf. And I wouldn’t remove that blade unless you have the desire to bleed to death,” he snapped as he saw Minki move to pull the blade.  
  
Minki glared at Jihoon’s reflection, grunting heavily under the pain as he returned his hand to his side. Donghan on the other hand, had grown pale, his grip tightening visibly on the steering wheel. So this was the legendary assassin, Apollyon. No wonder so many feared him. Judging from his foul mood, it seemed he was upset at having had to face an army of armed guards by himself. Then again, he had every right to be pissed.  
  
But that was not the only thing Jihoon was upset about. Now that the drama had passed, he was left to ponder the events that had passed merely minutes ago. Perhaps his decision to continue with the mission had been a little too rash. Maybe he should have retreated, but that would have just made it harder to kill the man later. However, deep down Jihoon knew that that wasn’t really what he thought. He had wanted to get the kill over and done as quickly as possible, no matter what the outcome. But he couldn’t say that this was the result he had wanted. Finding the boy huddling in his mother’s arms had also caught Jihoon off guard, the image reminding him of the times his mother had comforted him during those nights after he killed his stepfather. With that in mind, he could not bring himself to kill the pair. But when the boy had managed to steal his necklace, Jihoon had indeed grown angry at the boy, yet that was still not enough to make him kill the boy. Now, apart from the whole mission being a mess, Jihoon had lost something important. It was the first time he had ever worn the necklace and he had lost it. But, what troubled Jihoon even more was the fact that Daniel would almost certainly see the necklace, only to recognize it as Jihoonie’s.

* * *

 

 ** _tbc._**  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the killer chap is out (that is NOT intended to be a pun).  
> Actually, after I posted my last update, I had a brainwave and figured out how to deal with most of the parts that weren't sitting right with me. So, yeah... let me know what you guys think about it.


	21. Chapter 21

 

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Daniel was startled awake at Apollyon, the sound of his mobile ringing on his bedside table breaking the silence of the room. Sleepily, he reached out to pick it up.  
  
“hello?” he answered tiredly into the phone, glancing at the radio clock on his bedside. “It’s 5:43 AM. You’d better have a good reason to wake me, whoever you are.”  
  
“Then you’d better get your lazy ass all the way back here, Detective,” snapped Superintendent Matt over the phone. “Holiday time is over.”  
  
Daniel sat up in bed, covering his mouth with a yawn. “I was growing bored anyway. Did something happen?”  
  
Matt let out a tired sigh on the other end. “'' Apollyon’ ‘struck again last night.”  
  
The news chased away what little fatigue Daniel had left as he sat upright in bed. “Did he kill someone?”  
  
“‘He’,” yes corrected Matt Daniel seemed surprised to hear this bit of information. “His job this time did not go as smoothly as planned. He left two witnesses and a piece of evidence.”  
  
“He or She – I mean, he – messed up?” Suddenly, Daniel seemed to feel a spark of hope ignite within him. It seemed as if things were starting to look up. Perhaps he did have a hope of solving this case. “Then I’ll be there as soon as possible. Give me the details.”  
  
Daniel literally hopped out of bed, throwing the sheets back as he listened to Matt’s directions. As soon as Matt finished, Daniel hung up the phone and quickly dressed before packing up his belongings, which weren’t many. He then stepped out the room, knocking on Minhyun’s door next to him.  
  
It took Minhyun around two minutes before he finally answered the door. “ What is it? Do you have any idea what time it is?”  
  
Daniel ignored Minhyun’s questions. “Something’s just come up. I have to head back now so I’ll leave you to check me out later. I’ve called a cab, so you guys can take the van back.” He shoved his keys into Minhyun’s hand, patting him quickly on the shoulder before walking off.  
  
Minhyun glanced confusedly between the keys in his hand and Daniel’s retreating back, scratching his head as he returned back into his room. “Wonder what happened…?” he said with a yawn, throwing the keys on the bedside table before collapsing back to sleep.

  
Jihoon and the others had returned to the mansion barely an hour after his fiasco of a mission. Both he and Donghan now stood in office, watching the enraged Syndicate leader pace back and forth before his desk. He suddenly came to a stop before Jihoon, slapping him across the face loudly.  
  
“You… are supposed to be flawless,” growled the formidable man, fury etched into every line on his face. He then slapped him again. “You… are never meant to make mistakes. Yet you let two witnesses live, and further more, you allowed them to take your ‘necklace’. What were you thinking, Apollyon?”  
  
Jihoon bowed his head, accepting Minsoo’s rage. “I was not thinking, Master,” he replied in a mechanical voice. Donghan glanced at him out the corner of his eyes, marveling at how tame he appeared before Minsoo when just moments ago he had appeared all wild.  
  
Minsoo saw the glance and turned to slap Donghan. “Useless idiot. Get out of this room this instant!” Donghan hurriedly bowed at the furious boss, holding his sore check as he quickly left the room.  
  
Turning back to Jihoon, he came to cup his face in his hands. “Apollyon… Jihoon… Tell me… what is wrong with you? Why have you made such an amateurish mistake this time around?”  
  
Jihoon met his eyes then quickly averted them. He could never bring himself to stare in the man’s eyes for too long. Swallowing his saliva nervously, he replied, “I am tired.”  
  
Minsoo cocked his head to the side, slightly confused by his answer. “Tired?” He then released him, only to slap him across the face again. “I have just given you nearly a week’s rest at my resort. How much more rest do you need?”  
  
Jihoon continued to stand there in silence, softly chewing the inside of his bleeding lip. There were a million things he desired to rage at Minsoo about. He wanted to tell him that he no longer wanted to kill, no longer wanted to be ‘Apollyon’. But he knew there was no point. Minsoo owned his life. He had destroyed his old one in order to turn him into this two sided person, his guards by day and his assassin by night. he was fed up with life, tired with everything in general.  
  
Minsoo studied Jihoon’s emotionless face, letting out a heavy sigh as he went to collapse in his chair. He then rubbed his face, the action making him truly look like an old man. “Just… go, Jihoon. We’ll try to figure a way out of this mess later after we’ve all had some sleep.”  
  
Bowing obediently, Jihoon turned and headed for the door. he then came to a halt, his hand on the door handle when Minsoo suddenly said, “I know not everything was your fault. I know Donghan was the one who put you into that tight situation. He will be punished accordingly.”  
  
Jihoon only glanced at the ground for a moment, before he turned the door handle and exited the room. He proceeded down the hallway, coming to a stop when Guanlin suddenly emerged from his room. He came to stand before him, holding him gently by the chin as he inspected his red cheeks and split lip under the incandescent light.  
  
“It seems you messed up seriously this time around, Jihoon,” he said once he’d finished his observation. He let him go, smiling sympathetically. “My father truly is a cruel man to do this to a guy as cute as you.”  
  
He then moved to stroke Jihoon’s hair stepping back warily. “If you do not have any business with me, Master Guanlin, then I shall excuse myself.” he was about to walk off when he suddenly grabbed him by the arm.  
  
“Is that necklace important to you?” he suddenly asked. Jihoon turned to stare at him and he smiled back down at him. “Is it the same as the one I found in that tin of yours 7 years ago?”  
  
Jihoon’s eyebrows furrowed in suspicion as he glared back up at Guanlin. “If it is, then so what?”  
  
The right corner of Guanlin’s mouth curved higher into a lopsided smile as he released Jihoon’s arm. “Then that explains why you stuck a knife in that man’s shoulder.” He then returned to his room, pausing at the door. “I wonder… will the one who originally gave you the thing find it?”  
  
Jihoon stared back at him mildly surprised and this caused Guanlin to laugh. He opened his door and walked in, his laughter still echoing back into the hallway through the closed door. Jihoon continued to stare at his door, at a loss for words. What did he mean by that? Did he find out about Daniel? For some reason, Jihoon began to grow worried. It was as if Guanlin’s time abroad had changed him into a more dangerous man than his father, completely different to the spoilt teenager he had first met all those years ago.

  
  
Baek II Sub’s mansion was a buzz of activity as reporters and police staff alike filled the premises. Daniel squeezed his way past the reporters, ignoring their incessant questioning as they tried to probe him for answers. He then made his way over to where Matt and Jinyoung both stood at the mansion’s doorway, both in a heated discussion with several other police officers. Their conversation broke off as they saw Daniel approach.  
  
“You’re finally here, Daniel,” said Matt as he took a step towards him. Jinyoung followed behind as the others walked off to give them some space.  
  
Daniel glanced around at the scene surrounding him. “I take it he killed more people than only his target?” he asked when he saw several body bags lying near the steps.  
  
“Six in total. And all by himself, too,” replied Matt with a shake of his head. “I’m still amazed .”  
  
“oh dun be amazed, Superintendent,” snapped Jinyoung with a frown. “How many more times do I have to tell you that?”  
  
Matt exchanged a small glance with Daniel ,“Anyway, at apparently 11:47 PM last night, one of the security guards noticed a black shadow making its way through the garden. The security cameras-” Matt pointed at the black domes below several of the lamp posts. “- are hooked up onto two networks, an inner and an outer. When they began noticing Apollyon, the guards began to wonder why the lasers hadn’t tripped or why the cameras on the outer wall hadn’t Showing him climbing over. They went to do a check and found that the cameras were, in fact, playing a loop. They also found that the lasers were off, even though the monitoring system said they were still online. Unfortunately, by the time they realized that, '' Apollyon’ ‘had already reached Baek II Sub’s room and they then heard several gunshots being fired.”  
  
He then turned, leading Daniel over to where an ambulance was located. Inside were a woman and a child, mourning with silent sobs over the dead Baek II Sub’s body. The sight tore at Daniel’s heart as he was suddenly reminded of Jihoonie.  
  
Matt then led them away, heading over to where a police van was parked, picking up a small plastic zip lock bag. “Those two witnessed '' Apollyon’ ‘killing Baek II Sub but due to the trauma, we haven’t been able to get anymore information from them besides the fact that '' Apollyon''is a man. However-” He paused as he lifted the bag up to Daniel’s eyes. “The boy managed to snatch this necklace from Apollyon. We are intending to-”  
  
Daniel had suddenly snatched the bag from Matt, his eyes growing wide as he recognized the necklace. It was absolutely identical… there could be no doubt about it. The merchant he had bought it from had said that it was one of a kind, his very own design for the both of us. So why was '' Apollyon''wearing this exact same necklace?  
  
Both Jinyoung and Matt exchanged a worried glance with one another. “Is there something wrong, Daniel?” asked Jinyoung.  
  
Daniel snapped out of his thoughts as he peered up at their suspicious glances. He then handed the necklace back to Matt, shaking his head. “Nothing… I just thought… I might have seen this design somewhere…”  
  
Matt raised a brow as he turned to peer back down at the necklace. “It does seem like one of those cheap ones you can find anywhere. Although, I have to admit it would probably have been difficult to find one with the teeth.”  
  
Daniel continued to stare at the necklace in Matt’s hand, deep in thought. He was sure the necklace was one of a kind. He had even gone looking for the same merchant again back in Gangnam do to make him another one after Jihoonie had died. But now, it had suddenly reappeared. As his superintendent continued to describe the rest of the details about the case, he couldn’t help but think: what did Jihoonie’s necklace have to do with Apollyon?

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Back to the past - Jihoonie goes to retrieve something precious...


	22. Chapter 22

**_6 Years Ago -_ **

* * *

  
  
Daniel abruptly sat up straight, startled out of his sleep as something sharp dug into his face. A loud meow sounded and Daniel heard Rooney playing with the toy to the floor of the hut. He glared at the Cat, feeling the scratches his claws had left in his face.  
  
“Rooney! What the hell were you thinking, standing on my face like that?” he shouted at the Cat.  
  
Rooney cocked his head to the side, with a look in his eyes that said, ‘What did I do wrong?’  
  
Daniel couldn’t help but smile as he rolled his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that, Rooney,” he said, moving in to pick up the Cat. “Perhaps it was a bad idea to let you spend the night outside the cage.” He then put Rooney back into his cage and the Cat began walking side to side on its four legs. Daniel couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at the sight.  
  
“Are you trying to cheer me up, Rooney?” he laughed as he stuck his finger through the wires to stroke the Cat’s fur. His laughter soon died down to be replaced with a sad look as he then turned to glance at his surroundings. “It’s so quiet up here without **him** , isn’t it, Rooney?” he said wistfully. He then laughed at how silly his statement was. “But then again, it wasn’t like he was the one who made all the noise. He rarely ever said a word but since we moved our meetings up here, I thought he was finally coming out of his shell.” Daniel smiled sadly, leaning his head against the cage as he sat against the wall, staring at the door. “Just the other week I thought I heard him laugh at a joke I had made. I even caught him smiling a couple of times, and every time I did, for some reason, my heart would suddenly pound faster and I felt as if I was at the top of the world.” The sad smile on his face slowly faded away. “But that all changed the other day. It’s been two days since Jihoonie ran away. I thought he would at least come back here by now, but…” He turned to peer at Rooney, a look of desperation in his eyes. “Tell me, Rooney… where is he? Where has he run away to? I… I miss him terribly.”  
  
Rooney shuffled across his perch, bowing down to pick up a food which he slowly sip the water. Daniel smiled at the simplicity of the act, before turning to stare back at the door. The wind rustled gently outside, howling quietly through the gaps in between the wooden planks of the hut. The sound of the Cats as the outside drifted in through the window and he realized he had yet to refill their water and seed. Sighing, he got up to his feet and stepped out of the hut.

  
  
Jihoon had wandered through the huge mansion, becoming more and more awed as he came across the variety of rooms hidden within its depths. Just the other day, he had come across a series of rooms fashioned in the style of both traditional and modern dojos, along with an indoor shooting range in another room nearby. He had to admit that it came across as a mild shock, but after Seongwoo had explained to him that this was in fact the Syndicate leader’s house and headquarters, Jihoon had to admit that it wasn’t entirely unusual. At first he had wondered what the Syndicate was, having never come across the name as he rarely ever tuned in to the world’s events. Seongwoo didn’t seem surprised that he didn’t know and explained to him calmly that the Syndicate was South Korea’s largest criminal organization and that Minsoo was their leader, although the old man had managed to keep that a secret for many years. He had inherited the organization after the old leader had died without an heir, chosen because not only was he successful in business but he was ruthless and cunning as well. Minsoo had apparently never had much to do with the Syndicate, focusing solely on his family company to the best of his abilities. But this was where some people rumored – and Seongwoo had lowered his voice as he told Jihoon this – that Minsoo was, in fact, incredibly power hungry and had killed the previous leader after integrating himself so thoroughly into the organization.  
  
Seongwoo had to admit that he was rather disappointed by Jihoon’s reaction to this secret, and he openly voiced his disappointment in an attempt to humor the young boy. But Jihoon had remained stubborn in his depression, becoming more and more withdrawn as he hardly ever said a word.  
  
However, all that was the day before. Today, Jihoon had finally found his way into the extensive gardens that spanned the mansion, still in awe at how big everything was. He began to wonder whether he belonged in such a large palace, becoming suspicious again at the old man’s words. Why was he so keen to help an estranged orphan like him, one who had killed two people with his own hands? What did he stand to benefit from all this?  
  
Jihoon came to a stop under a Japan styled gazebo, staring at his hands. He had now killed two people. That one fact had been constantly echoing in his head for the past two days. Yet… he found that he no longer really regretted killing those two men. Perhaps it was because he had finally shared this secret with someone and the outcome had not been as horrible as he had thought it would be. But he couldn’t get the way Minsoo had stared at him in his office the other day out of his mind. The sudden brightness they held as he peered at him… he felt himself shiver as he remembered. Just what exactly did he want with him?  
  
Peering around him, Jihoon saw that the garden surrounding him was empty. Stepping out of the gazebo, he casually made his way over to the wall that ran around the perimeter of the mansion. He ran his hand over the smooth white paint, studying what lay around his. This part of the mansion’s gardens was Japanese styled, a small manmade river winding its path through the well-kept garden, several large maple and gingko trees providing the shade for the azalea and peony shrubs in full bloom. One of the gingko trees were planted quite close to the wall and Jihoon made his way over to it as he saw it had one branch protruding over the edge. With one last quick glance around him, Jihoon climbed up the tree, hopping down roughly on the other side once he had stepped onto the wall. He inhaled sharply as his ankle and knee joints jarred, falling onto his rear end as he lost his balance.  
  
Quickly, Jihoon got back up onto his feet, dusting his hands on the new shirt Minsoo had sent a servant to buy for him. Then, peering to his left and right, he took off, heading towards the main road. His heart pounded nervously as he walked away, constantly repeating the excuse in his mind that he wasn’t exactly running away from Minsoo. He only intended to go and see how things were, especially the Cats and Rooney although he had the feeling that Daniel would be there to take care of them. As he emerged out onto a main street, Jihoon spotted the bus stop nearby and was about to walk over to it when someone came to grab his arm from behind.  
  
He spun around in shock to see who had caught him. “Seongwoo?” he whispered. Seongwoo just smiled at the shocked look on Jihoon’s face.  
  
“Hmm… it seems Minsoo was right. If we were to leave you alone, you would run away. May I ask why, after you have agreed to live with Minsoo?”  
  
Jihoon roughly pulled his arm out of Seongwoo’s grip. “There are some things I have to see to,” he replied coldly.  
  
Seongwoo nodded with a thoughtful smile. “The why didn’t you say so? Minsoo also told me that if you wanted to go anywhere, I could take you.” He then gripped Jihoon’s wrist tightly, bending down to peer seriously into his eyes. “But you are to remain in my sight at all times.”  
  
Jihoon glared back at Seongwoo, meeting the older man’s gaze defiantly. Seongwoo’s lips then curved into a smile as he stood up straight and began dragging him to his car. “Where to?” he asked as he then held the door open for him.  
  
He continued to glare at the man, refusing to get into the car. Seongwoo rolled his eyes as he shoved him into the car with a sigh. “This is your only chance, Jihoon; where to?”  
  
Jihoon crossed his arms, staring ahead of him angrily. As Seongwoo was about to slam the door closed, Jihoon suddenly said, “Jeju Nansum Mountain . Take me to the base of the  Mountains.”  
  
Seongwoo closed the door firmly, a triumphant smile on his face as he then entered the car to start the engine. He pulled out and together in silence, they headed off in the direction of Namsam district.

  
Jihoon directed Seongwoo to a car park at the foot of the hills, and they came to a stop amid a dozen parked cars. He immediately stepped out of the car and headed off towards the information centre, Seongwoo hurryingly following behind.  
  
“If you’re thinking of a way to lose me, then you’d better forget about it, Jihoon,” he shouted. Jihoon came to a stop before a large map of the national park, turning around on the spot to glare at Seongwoo.  
  
“What makes you think I’m trying to lose you?” he replied in an even tone. He then turned around and began studying the map, his eyes occasionally sliding to the corners as he tried to peer behind him.  
  
Seongwoo furrowed his eyebrows in frustration at Jihoon’s reply. He crossed his arms, tapping his right foot as he studied him impatiently. “Why are we at a national park?” he asked after several minutes of waiting for Jihoon to speak once more.  
  
“It’s none of your business,” snapped Jihoon as he then turned to storm off towards a trail that apparently led to a waterfall.  
  
“None of my business?” repeated Seongwoo, vexed. He then followed Jihoon, jogging every now and then to keep up with Jihoon’s brisk pace.  
  
Jihoon noticed this and steadily began increasing his pace, until they both broke out into a flat out run. Seongwoo, swearing silently as he realized that Jihoon was indeed trying to lose him, sprinted up to Jihoon’s side. He saw him catch up and he suddenly halted, veering a sharp right into the forest as Seongwoo continued to run forwards. He swore loudly now as he tried to resist his inertia and came to a skidding halt on the dirt track, jumping into the forest behind her. However, the spot on the track he had jumped from was slightly higher than the spot Jihoon had jumped from, and as a result, Seongwoo ended up jarring his knees unexpectedly.  
  
“Damn you, Park Jihoon!” cursed Seongwoo as he groaned from the pain. Then realization hit him. He shoved the leaves of a shrub nearby in annoyance for not having picked up on what Jihoon was doing. It was obvious the Boy knew this place like the back of his hand and he must have been studying the map to plan his escape.  
  
Calming himself down, he finally pulled himself back onto his feet and peered around him into the dense vegetation. Jihoon was nowhere to be seen but that didn’t stop Seongwoo from plunging into its depths. If Jihoon wanted to play hide and seek, then he’d be glad to play the game with him.

  
Jihoon continued to run through the forest, peering back over his shoulder occasionally for any sign of Seongwoo. He finally slowed down as his breathing became labored, exhausted from the sudden burst. He leant back against the tree, peering around at his surroundings. Even though he had been wandering through these forests for nearly half a year, it was still very easy for anyone to get lost. If his calculations were correct, though, the hut should lie not very far from where he was now. With one last glance over his shoulder, he began heading in the direction of the hut, believing that Seongwoo wouldn’t be foolish enough to come following him blindly.  
  
It took him fifteen minutes to reach the hut and Jihoon came to a stop at the edge of the clearing when he saw Daniel lying down on the porch, Rooney perched on the frame of the open window above him. With a welcoming Purr,Rooney suddenly running over to Jihoon , landing on him outstretched arm. Daniel suddenly sat up straight to peer at Jihoon, his face turning into a priceless look of happiness.  
  
“Jihoonie!” he shouted as hopped off the porch and sprinted over to him. He suddenly engulfed him in a hug and Rooney barely had enough time to walk away. “I thought I’d never get to see you again,” he whispered into his ear.  
  
Jihoon continued to stand there, struck dumb at having found Daniel waiting for him. He was even more surprised at how hard he was hugging him, but strangely, he found that he enjoyed the firm grip and slowly, he raised his hands up to hug him back.  
  
He suddenly released him and began examining his face. “Where have you been, Jihoonie? I was looking for you everywhere, but I couldn’t find you so I came here to wait for you. I knew you’d come back here eventually.”  
  
Jihoon continued to stare into Daniel’s eyes before he suddenly averted his, shoving his hands from his shoulders. He took a step back before looking up to stare coldly at him. “I’m sorry, Euigeon, for putting you through all this trouble. But don’t bother looking for me in the future. Forget about me.” He pushed past him and proceeded up the steps and into the hut.  
  
Daniel stood there stunned on the spot, unsure whether he had heard right. He turned around, running into the hut behind Jihoon to turn him around to face him. “What do you mean, ‘don’t bother looking for me’? What do you mean, ‘forget about me’? What do you mean, Jihoonie? What happened?”  
  
Jihoon shoved his hands off him again as he went to the box Rooney’s cage stood on. “Nothing’s happened, Euigeon. Just do as I say. It’s for the best.”  
  
Daniel watched as Jihoon pulled the cage down, lifting the box up to reveal a silver tin and what appeared to be several dozen wallets. He looked on in surprise at the wallets, picking up the nearest one to him to open it and see some stranger’s ID card. “Where did… these come from?” he asked in a barely audible whisper.  
  
Jihoon ignored him, instead picking up his tin and walking out of the hut. Daniel hurriedly got back up onto his feet and chased Jihoon out of the hut.  
  
“I said, ‘Where did these come from?’” he shouted at Jihoon, waving the wallet in the air before him. While his voice sounded incredibly angry, deep down he was afraid of the answer Jihoon would give him.  
  
Jihoon closed his eyes, trying to steel himself from the painful feeling in his heart at the sound of his angry voice. “Take care of Rooney for me,” he said as he then continued walking.  
  
Daniel’s hand clenched tightly around the wallet as he then threw it away, running to stand before Jihoon as he gripped his shoulders tightly. “You stole them, didn’t you?” he shouted, not wanting to believe what he was yelling out at him. “You stole these wallets just so you could buy and look after Rooney, didn’t you? You stole the money so that you could look after all the Cats, didn’t you?” His face then paled as he remembered. “You even stole the money so that you could buy the wire , didn’t you? No guy was throwing it away. Am I right?” he asked in a quiet voice, his face a mask of torment and fear for what Jihoon would say.  
  
Jihoon avoided Daniel’s gaze, the guilt over all his misdeeds flooding his tenfold. He didn’t need to hear Daniel accuse him for all his crimes. “I’m not a good person, Euigeon,” said Jihoon finally after a minute. “I’ve never been a good person. Forget about me.” He shoved Daniel roughly away and began sprinting blindly towards the edge of the clearing when the person he had least wanted to appear appeared.  
  
Seongwoo glared at Jihoon, thoroughly pissed off at him for making him trek through the forest. It was by chance that he happened to hear the boy’s shouts and that was what had led him to this secluded hut. He glanced between Jihoon and Daniel, instantly realizing what must have taken place. Without any further thought, he stormed towards Jihoon and began dragging him along with him.  
  
“We have to go. Now,” he said in a stern voice.  
  
Daniel stared at the pair in confusion, wondering why Jihoon was allowing the man to drag him along. He suddenly ran forwards, tearing Seongwoo’s hand away from Jihoon’s wrist. “What are you doing?” he shouted at the man.  
  
Seongwoo, no longer in the mood for fooling around, grabbed Daniel by the collar of his shirt and dragged him towards his face. “This is none of your business. Jihoon doesn’t exist in this world anymore, so you’d better forget about him already.” He then shoved Daniel away and began to storm off with Jihoon.  
  
Suddenly, Daniel planted a kick into the man’s back. “Who are you to say that Jihoon doesn’t exist in this world anymore? He’s standing right here!” he shouted, running to grip Jihoon tightly by the hand as he then held him behind his back as if to shield him.  
  
As Seongwoo stood up and was about to deliver a punch into Daniel’s face, Jihoon suddenly came to stand in front of Daniel. “That’s enough, Seongwoo. He’s not worth the effort.”  
  
Daniel peered down at Jihoon, shocked to hear him speak in such a way. “Jihoonie…?”  
  
Jihoon turned around, glaring at Daniel with hatred in his eyes. “I’ve had enough, Euigeon. Just end it here. I don’t want to ever see you again.”  
  
It hurt to see him look at him like that but Daniel still refused to believe what he was seeing or hearing. “You’re lying, Jihoonie…” He suddenly gripped Jihoon’s shoulders in desperation, shaking him roughly. “Tell me you’re lying, Jihoon! It’s all because of him, isn’t it? Tell me what happened, Jihoon! Maybe I can help-”  
  
He was suddenly cut off when Jihoon punched him painfully across the face. His face remained in the same position, staring away from him while his hand went to feel his cheek. Slowly, he turned to look into his face and his eyes stared back at him as cold as ice. But he didn’t fail to notice the tears brimming in the corner of his eyes.  
  
“I… hate you, EUIGEON. Get lost,” he said in an emotionless voice.  
  
Daniel continued to stare at him, at a loss for words. He spun around on the spot and began storming off into the forest, Seongwoo following him after one last glare at Daniel. He remained frozen to the spot, unable to believe his ears. Rooney suddenly Purr from his perch on the hut’s, breaking Daniel from his trance. His fists curled into tight balls as he made his way over to the hut, sitting down as hard as he could to alleviate his anger. There was no way Jihoon was speaking the truth. There had to be some reason behind it all. There had to be.

* * *

 

**_Tbc._ **


	23. Chapter 23

**_-7 Years Ago -_ **

* * *

 

Jihoon slammed the car door closed behind him, Seongwoo wincing slightly at the damage it would do to the car. He then proceeded to enter his side, starting the engine. Before he pulled out, he turned to look at Jihoon.

“Is he someone special to you, Jihoon?” he asked suddenly, a soft look in his eyes.

Jihoon continued to stare ahead of his, his eyes hard. The silver tin he had gone to collect was pressed tightly against his chest as he hugged it. “Your task is to drive, Seongwoo, so I suggest you do that unless you want to be the third person I kill.”

Seongwoo cocked an eyebrow in amusement at his retort as he then went to put the car in reverse. his threat answered his question anyway.

Minhyun and the twins were seated in the dining hall, in a slight depression over the past few days at Daniel’s disappearance. Woojin was sitting perhaps a little further away from the other two, as they both still hadn’t forgiven him for letting Daniel run away like that. Together, they released a tired sigh.

“I wonder when Hyung will turn up?” said Woojin wistfully for what was perhaps the hundredth time. He then turned to glare at his twin. “This is all your fault, Seungwoon. If only you hadn’t told him about the girl’s fire escape, he would still be under our watch!”

Seungwoon glared back at his brother. “Will you stop blaming me already? What else was I supposed to do? Knock him on the head again and drag him back to the room?”

Woojin slammed his hands on the table as he stood, his chair squealing as it slid on the linoleum floor. “Of course that’s what you should have done! Hyung’s gone crazy! We can’t just let him wander the streets like this!”

Woojin also slammed the table, glaring back at his twin as he stood. “Of course Hyung’s gone crazy! That’s why we have to let him come back to his senses by himself! We can’t force him to stay still if he doesn’t want to himself!”

Seungwoon was about to retort when they heard a small commotion coming from the hall that led to the front entrance. A boy suddenly poked his head into the door way, an excited look on his face. “Some guy’s just bought a cat here with him! Come and have a look!” he shouted before continuing on his way.

The three friends exchanged a confused glance with one another. “Cat?” they all said in unison.

“Why would someone bring a cat?” questioned Seungwoon. Minhyun shrugged as he then stood.

“Whatever the reason, let’s just go check it out. It’s better than sitting here letting you two bicker over a pointless argument.” He then pushed his chair out of the way and headed over towards the entrance.

Woojin and Seungwoon returned to glare at one another for several minutes before they suddenly poked their tongues out. They each cracked a smile and together they walked over to follow Minhyun.

They came to a stop when Minhyun stood blocking their way. They peered at one another in confusion before leaning in closer to Minhyun’s face. “What’s wrong, Minhyun ?” asked Seungwoon.

Minhyun slowly raised his hand in response as he pointed to the man heading up the steps towards the girl’s dorm with a bird cage in his hand. “It’s Daniel,” he said in shock.

Both of them snapped their heads in the direction Minhyun was pointing and huge grins spread across their faces. “Daniel Hyung! Daniel Hyung, you’re back!” shouted Woojin in glee as he and Seungwoon began shoving their way through the crowd. But it seemed that Daniel did not hear them for he continued to walk off deeper into the girl’s dorm.

“Hyung? Hey, Hyung! Can’t you hear us?” shouted Woojin as he, Seungwoon and Minhyun finally caught up with him. Still receiving no response from Daniel, Woojin angrily went to pull his shirt from the back. “Hyung! You’ve been gone for two days and you’re not gonna give us an explanation?”

Daniel shoved off Woojin’s arm as he glanced down in annoyance at the younger boy. “I’m your hyung, Woojin. Why do I have to give you an explanation like you’re my father or something?” snapped Daniel.

Minhyun suddenly shoved past Woojin and came to grip Daniel by the front of his shirt, staring angrily into the older boy’s eyes. “Has it occurred to you that we’re just as worried about you as you seem to be about JIHOON? I can’t stand this anymore, ! You’re completely hopeless and I really don’t regret hitting you on the head!” shouted Minhyun.

Daniel met Minhyun’s glare before averting his eyes in annoyance. With his free hand, he pried Minhyun’s fingers from his shirt. “I appreciate how worried you guys are about me, but you can stop worrying. I found Jihoon today.”

The anger in Minhyun’s eyes suddenly disappeared as he now peered up at Daniel in surprise. “You found him? Then where is he?”

“I don’t know…” sighed Daniel in frustration. He then turned around and walked several more steps to stop outside a room. “Is this the room Jihoon used to stay in?”

“Yeah…” replied Minhyun hesitantly. As Daniel was about to open the door he suddenly stopped him. “But; what do you mean you found him but don’t know where he is?”

Daniel puhed Minhyun’s hand out of the way and opened the door. “I mean, I found him but he was talking weirdly with me.” He then went to place Rooney cage on a table and began searching the desk that belonged to the bed on the right side. “he then left with some guy named Seongwoo. You guys ever seen or heard of him?”

Minhyun shook his head as he and the twins watched him search the room. “Never heard of him.” His brow then creased in confusion. “What are you looking for, ?”

“Clues. Hints. Anything that will give me more information about what is going on with Jihoon.” He moved over to Jihoon’s bed where he began throwing his pillows around after thoroughly searching them.

“Wow…he is acting like a real detective already,” said Seungwoon quietly beside his twin. Woojin gave him a smart slap to the head.

After several more minutes, Daniel collapsed onto the bed in frustration. His search of the room had turned up nothing.  purring quietly from his spot on the table.

“I’ve been wondering this for a while, … Why do you have a Cat with you?” piped Seungwoon when it seemed that no one was going to say anything any time soon.

Daniel turned to look at the cat. “His name is Rooney. It’s Jihoon Cats. He told me to look after him.”

The twins exchanged a surprised glance with one another before rushing over to the Cat side. “Jihoon had a pet cat? A crazy boy like him looks after Cats?”

Daniel sat up, glaring at the pair. “he’s not an evil person, you know. You guys just never understood the real Jihoon.” He then turned away, staring at the wall before him. “He even took in stray injured cats and nursed them back to health,” he said quietly.

The other three exchanged a surprised glance and Minhyun went sit down beside Daniel, patting him firmly on the shoulder. “It’s not the end of the world, right ? You at least know the name of the guy who took him.”

Suddenly, Daniel’s eyes brightened as he realized something. “Of course! How could I have forgotten?” He then turned to hug Minhyun roughly before walking over to pick up Rooney’s cage. “I can get Ahjusshi to search for Seongwoo’s record! Thanks, Minhyun!” he said as he hurried out of the room.

Again, the three of them exchanged a glance with one another and Minhyun just shrugged in return at the both of them. Then the three of them stood up and hurried out of the room. “Wait for us, Hyung!”

“Perhaps we will finally have to put the plan we’ve been discussing into motion,” said Minsoo from his position behind his desk, staring at the point his fingers made as the tips touched each other.

Seongwoo felt uneasy at the boss’s announcement. “Are you… sure about this, Master?”

Minsoo slowly looked up from his fingers to stare at Seongwoo coldly. “Do you also doubt my decisions, Seongwoo?” he asked in a tone that bordered on deadly.

Seongwoo swallowed nervously as he replied, “No, Master .”

Minsoo smiled as he leant back in his chair, studying Seongwoo. “You are still quite young, Seongwoo. There are many other who desire to be in your position, much older and wiser than you are. Do you also doubt my decision in making you one of my right-hand men?”

“No, Master,” replied Seongwoo solemnly as he stared at the ground.

“Good.” Minsoo stood, walking around his desk to stand opposite Seongwoo. “Then I suggest you go and explain the details of our plan to Jihoon.” He paused, pondering over his next words. “Are you sure you do not know the name of the boy?”

The scene in the mountains flashed back through Seongwoo’s mind and he faintly recalled that Jihoon had called the boy, ‘Euigeon’. “No, Master ,” he replied, gazing into Minsoo’s eyes.

Minsoo met the younger man’s eyes, staring into them as if he didn’t believe Seongwoo. He then walked past Seongwoo and headed towards the door. “Very well; you’ll just have to convince Jihoon to go and meet him one more time so we can have a witness to our plan.” He paused at the door, his hand on the handle. “A word of advice, Seongwoo: don’t let your emotions rule you.” With that last statement, Minsoo opened the door and stepped outside.

Seongwoo stood there staring at the door, his blood cold. He then turned away angrily, his hand curling into a tight fist. Who was the real one letting their emotions rule them? Hadn’t Minsoo himself impulsively decided that Jihoon was to join the Syndicate? Taking a calming breath, Seongwoo relaxed his hand. There was no point in getting vexed over what Minsoo had said to him. Although he had to admit he had a liking for Jihoon, there was still no way he would let that interferes with his work. When he felt that he had calmed down enough, Seongwoo stood up straight and left the room, heading off to find Jihoon.

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo We're getting close now ;) I don't know what else to say for once, lol
> 
> Next Chapter: What is Minsoo's plan???


	24. Chapter 24

**_\- 7 Years Ago -_ **

* * *

 

“Are you sure this is the place,?” asked Seungwoon doubtfully, peering at the dingy old pub that stood in a secluded part of downtown Jeju do.

Daniel checked the piece of paper in his hand before peering back up at the sign that hung at the pub’s doorway. “That’s what it says on the record Ahjusshi found for us. Apparently, this is the pub he owns and frequents the most. It’s also under surveillance by the police for any suspicious activity.”

Woojin cringed slightly as he lean on his brother’s shoulder. “How in the world did Jihoon end up getting involved with some gangster?”

Minhyun elbowed Woojin in the side glaring at him, turning back to look at the tight grip Daniel had on the piece of paper. They had spent all day yesterday pestering Ahjusshi to retrieve all the records of anyone with the name ‘Seungwoo’. Mr Kim had refused to comply, saying that it was illegal and that it would take them forever to find the right record seeing as they didn’t even have the man’s surname. However, in the end, Mr Kim had conceded and Daniel spent the rest of the night scanning the photos attached to the records for the man. The three of them had fallen asleep after watching for an hour, only to be woken when Daniel had shouted in triumph at 7AM. He had wanted to rush out to find Jihoon then but the other three had restrained him, convincing him that he should read over the man’s record carefully and come up with a plan unless he wanted Jihoon to run away from him again. Grudgingly, Daniel obliged and they soon found out that Seungwoo’s address was the pub of which they were now standing outside of this very instant.

“Come on,” said Daniel, leading the way to door. A sign that said ‘closed’ stared back into his face but he knocked on the door anyway.

Several minutes passed by and there was still no response from within. Daniel continued knocking, the knocks growing consistently harder as his frustration grew. Minhyun suddenly grabbed Daniel’s hand and pulled him away from the door.

“Maybe they’re not here,” suggested Minhyun. He peered down at Daniel’s hand in his, wincing slightly at how bruised it was. “There’s no point in knocking anymore if they haven’t answered by now.”

Daniel pulled his hand roughly out of Minhyun’s and proceeded back up to the door. “Of course they’re in there. Seungwoo is just too afraid to answer the door.” He began pounding on the door once again and eventually ended up kicking at it. “Jihoon! Jihoonie! You’re in there, aren’t you?” he shouted. Minhyun and the the both ran to drag him away from the door.

“Stop it, Hyung! Are you trying to break the door down?” shouted Woojin as he held tightly onto Daniel’s arm.

Daniel continued to struggle against his friends. “So what? If it means I can get to Jihoon, then it doesn’t matter!”

The four suddenly stopped their wrestling with one another when they heard the lock on the door behind them suddenly click open. A tall man in his mid-twenties stepped out, glaring disapprovingly at the teenagers standing before him. Daniel shrugged the other’s hands off him, and took a step forward.

“Is Seungwoo here?” demanded Daniel, glaring back at the older man.

The man continued to stare at Daniel. “What’s it to you, kid?”

Daniel took another menacing step forward. “I asked ‘Is Seungwoo here?’”

The man turned around, walking back into the pub. “Get lost, kid; this ain’t a place you should come kicking the door down on,” he sneered.

As the man tried to close the door, Daniel ran forward to push past him. Minhyun and the twins hurriedly followed him.

“Hey! You kids can’t go in there!” shouted the man as he chased after them.

Inside was dimly lit, the dozens of tables covered with upturned chairs and several waiters were sweeping the floor as they began getting the place ready. They watched in surprise as the four boys sped past.

“Don’t just stand there, you idiots! Catch them!” shouted the man who had opened the door.

Promptly heeding the man’s command, the waiters threw their brooms aside and began giving chase. All the while, Daniel continued to search the building blindly, shouting out for both Seungwoo and Jihoon.

“I know you’re here, Seungwoo! Come out and face me already!” He then turned one of the tables over as the man who had opened the door came up behind him.

“You stupid kid!” shouted the man, thoroughly pissed. He then suddenly drew out a gun and aimed it at Daniel. “You’d better stop running around unless you want me to blow a hole in you.”

The boys came to a stop, Minhyun and the twins staring horrified at the weapon in the man’s hand. Daniel, who had had his back to the man, slowly turned around, glaring angrily at the man.

“You’re threatening to kill me?” asked Daniel in an even voice. He met the man’s eyes, not the least bit afraid at having a gun pointed at him.

The man’s mouth curved into a small smirk. “I’m not threatening you; I mean it.” He then cocked the safety on his gun.

“Stop that, Matt… That is no way to treat our visitor,” piped a sarcastic voice from the stairs that led to the upper floor. Daniel peered up to see Seungwoo smiling down on the scene before him.

“Seungwoo…” growled Daniel as he took a step forward. He was brought short as  also took a step forward. “Where is Jihoon?”

“I’m right here.” Daniel spun around on the spot to see Jihoon emerge from the kitchen behind him. His face brightened when he saw him.

“Jihoon…” he said as he went to grab his hands. “Why are you staying here?” He then turned to glare at Seungwoo as he pointed at him. “That man there is a gangster. You can’t stay with him.”

He then turned back to look at Jihoon but was disappointed at the cold way he stared back at him. “I thought we already talked about this, Euigeon.”

Daniel’s eyes then hardened in annoyance as he glared angrily at Jihoon. “We haven’t talked about anything, Jihoon.” He then began dragging Jihoon along. “I’m taking you to come live with the Kims.”

Jihoon pulled his hand out from Daniel’s grip and punched  him on the face. “Listen to what I have to say. Stop interfering with my life, Euigeon.” He stormed past him but was brought up short when he engulfed him in a hug from behind.

“No. I’m not going to listen to what you’re saying. I’m not going to let you disappear from my life, Jihoon. I… I love you, Jihoon.”

Jihoon’s eyes widened in shock at those words, his blood running cold. Even Seungwoo couldn’t hold back the look of surprise on his face. Daniel tightened his hold around Jihoon, closing his eyes as he held him close.

“ **I love you, Jihoon**. **So now do you understand why I won’t let you go?** ” he asked softly, whispering into his ear.

Jihoon suddenly elbowed Daniel and he released him, peering up at him in shock and confusion as he held his stomach. There was a look of utter fear on Jihoon’s face as he steadily stepped backwards, shaking head in denial. His sudden confession had been… unexpected. He didn’t know what to do.

Suddenly, Jihoon turned on Shoes and sprinted out of the pub. “Jihoon!” shouted Daniel as he ran out after him. “Jihoonie!”

Junho came to a stop in the middle of the road, turning around slowly to peer at Daniel sadly. “Don’t make this any harder than it is for me already, Euigeon…” he whispered, the words never reaching his ears.

Suddenly, a car came speeding out of nowhere and Jihoon turned to stare at the oncoming vehicle. Daniel shouted out at Jihoon to move out of the way but it was too late. The car hit him fully as it tried to skid to a stop, sending Jihoon rolling over the bonnet and into the windscreen. His limp body slowly slid off the bonnet, falling onto the ground with a soft, sickening thud.

“Jihoon!” shouted Daniel in despair as he dashed forward to see how he was. He peered down at him with tears in his eyes, his hands shaking as he was paralyzed by fear. There was blood everywhere, most of it covering his face from the dozens of glass cuts.

“Jihoon!” he cried, picking up his head to cradle in his arms. “Jihoon… don’t leave me… please don’t leave me…please” Tears began to escape their place as he peered up and down at Jihoon’s battered body. He remained oblivious to the dozens of onlookers; the only thing in his eyes was jihoon slowly dying in his arms.

“Go call an ambulance!” he shouted at the crowd, still peering down at Jihoon. “Please don’t leave me, … Not when I’ve only just revealed how I felt for you… Please…”

Jihoon’s eyes fluttered slightly as he peered up blurrily at Daniel. A faint sad smile caressed his lips as he then closed his eyes. “Thankyou… Euigeon… for everything…” He then fainted in Daniel’s arms and he shook his head in denial.

“No… no… no, no, no! Jihoon!” he shouted at Him. “You are not going to die on me, Jihoon. I love you. Don’t talk like you’re going to die… don’t talk…” He then turned to glare at everyone around him. “Where’s the ambulance?” he shouted angrily.

“It’s… it’s coming, ,” replied Seungwoon in a tight voice. Even though he had never really liked Jihoon, he had to admit that seeing him dying in Daniel’s arms was not what he wanted for him. He glanced at minhyun & woojin and could tell that he was feeling the same.

Suddenly, the sound of an ambulance’s sirens entered the vicinity of their hearing and Daniel looked up hopefully. The vehicle came to a stop nearby and several paramedics rushed out, Daniel reluctantly moving out of the way so that they could take him. However, he never once let go of Jihoon’s hand and the paramedics had to let him sit in the ambulance with him.

All the while, Seungwoo had been standing in the doorway, watching the scene unfold before him with an expressionless look on his face. He then turned away and entered his pub, Matt following solemnly behind him. Walking up the steps, he dismissed Matt as he then entered his office. Pulling out his mobile, he dialed a number.

**_“Everything has gone according to plan, Master .”_ **

* * *

 

**tbc.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sobs* My poor Daniel... So now maybe you guys may understand why he didn't want to let Jihoon get away from him. He loves him! And he confessed. Hmm... 
> 
> anyone seen Beautiful mv movie version yet? it's so beautiful i'm crying .   
>  
> 
> Next Chapter: Still ten years ago. The proof that Daniel cannot deny...


	25. Chapter 25

**_\- 7 Years Ago -_ **

* * *

 

The rush to the emergency ward was a blur of havoc as Daniel’s eyes remained focused on Jihoon’s still form on the bed. His hand refused to let go of him as they ran along and the nurses had to pry his fingers from the vice-like grip before they could get Jihoon through into the emergency operating theatre.

“Let go of me!” shouted Daniel as several nurses fought to restrain him.

“Please calm down, Sir. Everything will be alright, he’s in the doctor’s hands now,” assured the nurse and Daniel began to calm down.

Feeling that it was probably safe to release the boy, the nurses let him go, taking a slow step back as they studied his reaction. Daniel slumped against the wall, sliding to the ground as he felt the horrendous force of sobs wracking his body. Tears slid down his face as he peered at the door, helpless.

“Please be okay, Jihoon…ah” he whispered, his voice cracking hoarsely.

At a loss for what to do with the poor boy, the nurses left him there, glancing occasionally back over their shoulders at him. Daniel continued to remain in that spot staring at the door until Minhyun and the twins finally arrived with Sister Emily and the Kims in tow.

“”are you alright?” shouted Jaehwan as he came to kneel beside Daniel, holding onto his arm as he peered up worried into his face.

Daniel sat there numbly, still staring at the emergency door. Minhyun began chewing the inside of his lip as he then exchanged a worried glance with the woojin & seungwoon. But none of them made a move to try and comfort him. He would definitely not welcome it.

Jaehwan, on the other hand, refused to leave Daniel alone. “Are you alright? Why aren’t you talking to me?” he continued to ask, shaking his arm.

“Jaehwan, leave Daniel alone,” said Mr Kim from his spot next to his wife. “He’ll be alright.”

Jaehwan turned to glare at his father. “How can he be all right? Just look at how sad he looks!” He turned back to stare at Daniel, feeling sorry for him.

It was several more hours before someone finally emerged from within the operating theatre. Daniel suddenly shrugged off Jaehwan’s hand and ran straight over to the doctor, gripping his arms tightly as he shook him, a desperate look in his eyes.

“Is he alright? Is Jihoon okay?” he shouted at the doctor, his eyes searching the older man’s for an answer. “Is he alright?”

The doctor looked down at Daniel regretfully, allowing the boy to shake him until he finally stopped. Slowly, he removed Daniel’s hands from his arms as he then held the boy’s shoulders, a look of pity in his eyes. “I’m sorry… We did everything we could to save him.”

Daniel felt as if he hadn’t heard right. “Sorry? What do you mean, ‘sorry’?” he shouted at the doctor, shaking the man even harder than before. Mr Kim and Minhyun came to pull him off, restraining him. “You saved Jihoon, right? Didn’t you? Didn’t you?”

Again, the doctor peered back at Daniel sadly. “He… didn’t make it. We could not stop the internal bleeding.”

Daniel began shaking his head in disbelief as his eyes widened in fear. “No… no… tell me it’s not true. Tell me it’s not true, god damn it!” he shouted as he broke free of the grip Mr Kim and Minhyun had on him and began sprinting towards the operating theatre. The other were about to chase after him to stop him, but Daniel paused as the doors suddenly opened and a bed was wheeled out, the body lying on it covered by a white sheet.

“Jihoon…” whispered Daniel, his body trembling slightly at the sight. He strolled forwards angrily, pulling back the cover. Jihoon’s pale face stared back up at him, blood still covering his pretty face. Daniel couldn’t believe his eyes. He refused to believe it.

The nurses then came to cover Jihoon back up again and wheeled his off towards the mortuary. Daniel remained frozen to the spot, still deep in shock. Jihoon was really dead. He was dead. And it had been all his fault. If he hadn’t gone looking for him, if he hadn’t… confessed to him, then he wouldn’t have run out onto the road. He ran over to the wall, punching it repeatedly as he shouted in anguish. It was all his fault. All his fault. All his fault.

Mr Kim came to stop Daniel, turning to hold the boy against the wall. “Stop it, Daniel. There’s no point in hurting yourself. No one could have anticipated this happening.”

Daniel glared back at Mr Kim, his eyes revealing the torment and pain he felt. “It’s my fault, Ahjusshi. My fault…” His voice began cracking as he couldn’t hold back the tears he wanted to cry so much. “If… if only… if only I hadn’t… hadn’t told him… he wouldn’t…”

Mr Kim suddenly pulled Daniel in for a hug and Daniel limply leaned against his shoulder as sobs wracked through his body. He patted the boy firmly on the back, trying to calm him down. “It’s not your fault, Daniel… Don’t blame yourself.”

seungwoon & woojin continued to stand like that in the hallway, the other watching the heartbreaking scene quietly. Nurses and doctors passed them with small condoling glances, but all these were not noticed by the group. Jaehwan was about to step forward to comfort Daniel but Minhyun held him back, shaking his head disapprovingly. Looking annoyed, sitting down .

 

It was some time before Daniel finally pulled away from Mr Kim, taking in a deep shuddering breath as he tried to calm himself down. “I… I want to be alone for a while,” he said as he then turned to walk off, the rest watching him go quietly.

* * *

 

Jihoon’s eyes flew wide open as he took in a large breath, the movement causing his to grasp his bruised chest in pain. His head began reeling and he soon felt the bile rising in his throat. Turning over to his right he threw up into a bowl someone in a black suit had waiting for him. Once he was done, he fell back against the bed, groaning slightly.

“Will he really be okay, Doctor?” said Seongwoo as he watched with concern from his spot in the corner.

“he’ll be fine,” said a voice somewhere to Jihoon’s left. “The sedative we gave his is able to induce a death-like state for ten minutes before he would have truly died. It was lucky we managed to get him in on time after that stupid boy stopped us. The antidote I have just given him has sent him into a momentary state of shock, which is why he threw up. I’ll now administer a dose of morphine in order to ease the pain.” Jihoon then felt a small prick on the inside of his left elbow and he moaned slightly from the pain. “I don’t know what you guys are playing at, hitting him with a car and then forcing him to die for ten minutes.”

The needle was removed from Jihoon’s arm and as the sedative began to take effect, he faintly heard the rattle of metal as something crashed. “Don’t get too suspicious now, Doctor. Your job is only to do as we say.”

Jihoon blurrily turned to glance at the scene, seeing Seongwoo hold the doctor up by the collar against the wall. He then turned away, closing his eyes. A small tear escaped its hold from his eye as he remembered what had passed. It was done. Jihoon was dead. his life was soon to begin anew. Yet Jihoon couldn’t help but feel a little regret at the way he had left. If he could perhaps redo everything again, he would have chosen not to tell Seongwoo that Daniel would come looking for them himself. He would not have agreed to let Daniel be the witness to his death, if he had known he loved him.

Daniel was sitting on a stone bench in the indoor courtyard of the hospital, staring at the pond before him with a distant look on his face. Jaehwan, Minhyun and the woojin stood at the door, peering out at him worriedly.

“Maybe I should go out and see him,” said Jaehwan suddenly as he was about to open the door.

Minhyun quickly stopped him. “The last thing he needs is someone to pester him,” he said.

Jaehwan turned to glare back up at him. “What do you mean by that, Minhyun?” he snapped, pulling his arm out of his grip.

“What Minhyun means, is that Daniel Hyung doesn’t want an annoying kid by his side when he has just lost the one he loved,” said Woojin, rolling his eyes as he placed his hands on his hip. Seungwoon nodded his head beside him.

Jaehwan went to shove his head. “I’m not an annoying kid!” Then he suddenly realized what Woojin had said. He grabbed Woojin by the shoulders and began shaking him roughly. “Loved? What do you mean he’s is in ‘love’?”

Seungwoon came in to pull Jaehwan’s hands off ,. “Exactly that,” he said with a frown. Jaehwan turned to stare at him instead. “Hyung just told Jihoon that he loved him today but he ran away and got hit by the car.”

Jaehwan stared at Woojin in disbelief. “Daniel loved that dead Guy? Since when?”

Woojin shrugged. “Beats me.” Seungwoon then gave him a slap on the head.

“You know since when,  Ever since Jihoon came to the orphanage Hyung has been acting strange around him. Don’t you think it might have been ‘love at first sight’?” he said with a small mischievous smile.

Minhyun glared at the two disapprovingly. “Hey, this isn’t the time to joke around, you two,” he said, glancing at Jaehwan who had now slowly walked over to stare at Daniel through the window. He then gave them both a smart slap to the head. “See what you’ve done?” he whispered at them fiercely.

Jaehwan continued to stare out the window, a pitiful look on his face as he watched Daniel. He let out a sigh, his hand sliding down the window slowly. “Poor Him… He must be feeling so sad by now…” he said quietly, on the brink of tears. As he noticed the melancholy look on Daniel’s face, he couldn’t help but feel an incredible sadness well up inside him. He wasn’t sure whether it was because him that looked so unhappy or whether it was because he was in love with that dead guy. Either way, it hurt his heart terribly.

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, I took some writer's liberty in inventing a sedative that could 'induce a death-like state' ^^ Although, the idea of something like that does seem a little familiar... Anyway, I can see many of you wondering how the accident was staged. here comes the dreaded words... 'All shall be revealed in a later chapter...' lols, just when you think you'll get to find out how he died, I've left such a large gap to be filled in ...Yeah... so now poor Daniel feels guilty for being the cause of Jihoon's death (It's not your fault Daniel!!!~) And Jihoon... isn't really all too happy about it either.
> 
> Next Chapter: Back to the present - Daniel remembers Jihoon's death.


	26. Chapter 26

**\- Present Day -**

* * *

 

Daniel sat up breathing heavily in bed, a cold sweat plastering his hair and clothes to his face and body. He turned to glance at his clock, which said that it was just past 3 am. Calming down his breathing, Daniel ran a hand through his hair with a shuddering sigh. It had been years since he’d last dreamt of Jihoon’s death. He figured it must have been triggered by seeing the necklace again unexpectedly. Throwing back the covers, he made his way outside and into the kitchen.

He turned on the light and proceeded to fill himself a glass of water, swallowing it down thirstily as he went to sit at the kitchen table. Once the glass was empty, he then held it before his face, studying it closely as he thought back over what he had found out the other day:

Jihoon’s necklace had reappeared.

Apollyon was wearing Jihoon’s necklace.

Appolyon was male.

Appolyon could be Jihoonie.

Jihoon would then be alive.

That last thought circled through his head, the possibility of it being true seeming absurd. He had clearly seen that Jihoon was dead. He wasn’t breathing when he was wheeled past him in the hospital. They even buried him and occasionally, Daniel would go to visit his grave in the cemetery. How was it possible then, that Jihoon could return from the dead? It just couldn’t be.

Daniel placed the glass back down onto the table roughly, moving to rub his face as he let out a frustrated sigh. Just when he thought the case was going to get simpler, it had suddenly become even more complicated than before. He stood up and left the kitchen, heading over to his office.

He went to sit down behind his desk, turning on his laptop as he turned to peer at Rooney who had been startled awake by his sudden entrance. “Hey there, boy… didn’t mean to wake you up in the middle of the night. Go back to sleep,” he said quietly as he then turned to watch his laptop load.

After several minutes, Daniel was finally able to click on Jihoon’s profile which he had long since saved to his desktop. His old face peered back at him and he could feel that familiar ache in his heart that he had every time he saw his face. He then scrolled through his details, scanning over the words. He had never bothered to read too much into his profile before, only ever having the heart to glance over it briefly. He took this chance to do just that now.

His finger paused in the middle of scrolling his mouse when he saw Jihoon’s birth date and he frowned. Normally, the date was etched into the back of his mind but it seemed to have slipped his mind over the past few months, ever since he had become engrossed in the Apollyon case. Feeling guilty that he had forgotten the date, he then scrolled further down away from it to try and chase the feeling away. Yet he couldn’t chase the nagging feeling that there was something wrong with the date. Scrolling back up, he read Jihoon’s profile from the top.

Name: Park Ji hoon

Date of Birth: 29 May 1999

Date of Death: 25 August 2011

Nationality: South Korean Masan province

Occupation: Student

Daniel’s eyes flicked back up to Jihoon’s birthday. Something about that date just wasn’t right. It was as if he had seen it somewhere else… Daniel suddenly gripped his mouse tightly as he suddenly remembered. It couldn’t be… could it?

He hurriedly went to click on Jihoon’s profile and it promptly opened up on his screen, his stern face looking back at him. As he peered at the picture, he had to admit that the similarities in their appearances were uncannily similar. He also noticed now that they both had the same surname. Turning his attention back to what he had originally intended to look at, he spotted Jihoon’s birth date and his breath caught in his chest.

**_They were the same._ **

****

Daniel sat leaning on his motorcycle as he drank from his bottle of Coke, watching the entrance to Enterprises behind a pair of sunglasses. He had already called Jinyoung to tell him that he wouldn’t be coming in today and he had promptly chucked a tantrum, calling him a number of unrepeatable names. Today they were meant to go and interview the two witnesses in their safe house but he had passed the opportunity, saying that he had some urgent business to attend to. The lack of details about this urgent business of his sent Jinyoung into another round of insults and Daniel had promptly cut the call there. He had to admit that at times his partner was a little tough to handle with, especially if she was left to do something on her own.

He suddenly sat up straight when he saw Jihoon and Minsoo emerge from the building, walking down the front steps to a waiting black Mercedes. Draining the last of his drink and throwing the bottle away, Daniel started up his motorcycle and proceeded to follow Minsoo car as they pulled out of the driveway.

Jihoon sat silently in the back seat of the car next to Minsoo, his face blank as he stared ahead. Minsoo had hardly spoken with him since that night, seemingly distancing himself from him. But that never bothered Jihoon. He knew it was only a matter of time before Minsoo would begin to favour him again and send him back on those missions. He closed his eyes as he tried to suppress a shudder at the thought.

Opening his eyes again, he glanced at the driver, noticing that he was constantly turning to look in the rear view mirror. Growing suspicious, Jihoon pulled out his phone pretending to check his appearance, all the while looking out the back window through the reflection. He saw the motorcycle tailing them and his heart literally stopped when he realized who it was.

Minsoo seemed to notice Jihoon holding the Iphone camera for an abnormally long time and turned to peer at him suspiciously. “Is there something wrong, Jihoon?”

Jihoon slowly Locked his Phone , concentrating on putting it away. “Someone is following us,” he said quietly after some time.

Minsoo suddenly raised an eyebrow and turned to glare at the driver. “Is that so, Driver?”

The Driver nodded nervously as he peered at Minsoo through the rear view mirror. “Yes, Master . I have noticed a motorcycle has been following us since we left the office, Sir.”

A frown creased Minsoo’s brow as he turned to stare out the window. The car came to a stop at the traffic lights. “We cannot go to meet Harada under these conditions. It looks like we will have to change our plans.”

“Perhaps not, Master Minsoo,” said Jihoon carefully. Minsoo turned to look at him wonderingly.

“How do you intend to deal with the tailer then?” he asked.

Jihoon continued to stare ahead of his, his face expressionless. “I shall go confront him and ask what he wants.”

Minsoo raised a curious eyebrow before he turned to stare ahead of him. “That simply? Very well.” He leaned forward to speak into the Driver’s ear, “Find a place we can stop for a few minutes.”

As the light turned green, Driver did as he was told and turned left into a small street where he pulled up to the side of the road. Daniel continued to slowly follow and came to an abrupt stop behind them, realizing that they must have noticed him. He watched as Jihoon slowly stepped out of the car and came walking towards him.

“Is there a reason why you are following us, Detective Euigeon?” he asked coldly, his eyes betraying none of his thoughts.

Daniel glanced between Jihoon and the car behind him, moving to remove his sunglasses from his face. “You managed to recognize me, Jihoon?” he asked with a small smile. His heart beat slightly faster as he stared at him, the suspicions in his mind rising to the surface with a stronger conviction than ever, now that he saw him before him.

“I happen to have a good memory, Detective,” replied Jihoon sharply. “You do realize that what you are doing is illegal and we reserve the right to call the police to arrest you?”

The smile on Daniel’s face grew into a grin as he nodded his head in amusement. “It does seem like you have a good memory if you continue to call me Euigeon.” He was pleased by the effect his words had on Jihoon as he looked shocked for a moment. Daniel went to put his sunglasses back on and started the engine to his motorbike. “All right, I won’t follow you anymore. But let me tell you something,  ‘Park’ Jihoon,” he said, putting an emphasis on his last name. “The one I wanted to follow was you. If you want to know why I was, then come to meet me at the place we shared our first kiss, midnight tonight. I’ll be waiting.” He smirked as he suddenly tore off, the engine of his motorbike roaring loudly down the street.

Jihoon slowly made his way back to the car, entering it as calmly as possible. Minsoo turned to peer at him, waiting for him to tell him what had passed.

“He was a police officer, one of Mark’s underlings. He wouldn’t tell me why he was tailing us but I threatened to call the police on him for it was being done without a warrant. He left without arguing back. It should be safe to continue on now, Master.”

Minsoo nodded his head as he accepted Jihoon’s explanation. “Very well; pull out, . However, take a roundabout way to where we’re headed, just in case that man still wants to try to follow us. We can’t let the police find out that we’re meeting a representative of the Yakuza today.”

The Driver nodded his head in reply and proceeded to pull out. Jihoon turned to stare out his window, his face an expressionless mask. Yet deep down, he was feeling incredibly troubled. Daniel’s attitude towards him just now was different to the last time they had met. It seemed as if he had finally figured out his true identity. He had hoped it would be a little while longer before he figured it out, but it seemed as if that would not be the case. It was only logical that he would, seeing as he cared about him a lot, whether he was Jihoonie or Jihoon. Suppressing the urge to sigh, Jihoon turned back to stare at the chair before him. He would have to think hard to come up with a plan to sneak away unnoticed later. Tonight will be the night he will finally confront the misdeeds of his past as Jihoonie.

* * *

 

**_Tbc._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The best lies are those which incorporate pieces of the truth. ;)


	27. Chapter 27

* * *

 

Jinyoung collapsed behind his desk, his head falling onto his crossed arms as he let out a tired sigh. Interviewing the witnesses had turned up not much more than what they had already gleaned from them the other day. All that he had been able to find out was that Apollyon had covered his face with a mask and that he was perhaps over 160 cm taller. Jinyoung let out another tired sigh. They had also come to realize that if Appolyon was in a tight situation, he would resort to using guns as well, aside from the bladed weapons he seemed to prefer. So that meant the assassin could have killed more than those that have already been associated to his name.

His mobile phone suddenly began ringing in his pocket, and he blindly groped around for it. Half-heartedly, he thought that if this was Daniel calling, he would immediately begin yelling at him for not accompanying him. What was more important than trying to solve the Apollyon case? It was something he had been eager to do since they’d first received the case, but when it seemed that something had finally turned in their favor, he disappears off on some kind of ‘important business’.

He slides his phone and held it to his ear without looking at the screen. “Yobuseyo?” he answered, a little roughly. “If that’s you, Daniel, you’d better get your stinking ass back here this instant so I can scold the unhelpful bastard you are.”

“Hmm… someone seems to be in a really bad mood. Would you like me to call you back later when you have calmed down, Detective Jinyoung?” replied Daehwi over the phone, his voice hiding a humored note to it.

Jinyoung sat up straight on the desk, pulling the phone away from his ear to check the caller ID. It was Daehwi. Cursing silently to himself, he slowly put the phone back against his ear. “What do you want,  Daehwi shh? I believe there is no reason for you to contact me anymore, seeing as I no longer have to act as your bodyguard.”

“Perhaps… but what harm is there in calling up an old colleague?”

“A lot,” snapped Jinyoung. “Look, I don’t really have the time to exchange friendly banter with you, Mr. There’s a dangerous assassin out there that I have to catch.” He was about to hang up the phone when he heard Daehwi telling him to wait.

“It’s that ‘Apollyon’ case isn’t it?” he asked in a serious voice.

Jinyoung paused, surprised that Daehwi would know about the case. “You know about it?”

Daehwi chuckled slightly over the phone. “Of course I do. Being Senator son means I’ve heard more things than the average person.” He paused before asking, “Does Apollyon have anything to do with the guy death the other day?”

Jinyoung let out a sigh, rubbing his face tiredly. “Perhaps you should be a detective, Daehwi, seeing as you’re so perceptive,” he snapped sarcastically.

“Perhaps I should, Jinyoung,” he retorted in a happy tone.

“Who gave you permission to call me Jinyoung?” he suddenly asked somewhat indignantly.

“Then who gave you permission to refer to me as Daehwi?” he retorted back, still with that annoying happy note to his voice.

Jinyoung opened his mouth to retort back but nothing came out. he let out a frustrated groan. “If you’re just calling me to amuse yourself, then I’m going to hang up now.”

There was silence on the other end and Jinyoung frowned slightly, wondering why Daehwi was now being so quiet. The suddenly, “Would you like to go out to dinner with me?”

Jinyoung was at a loss for words. “Dinner?” he repeated, still shocked.

“Yeah… just to get your mind off the case for a while, if you don’t mind. I mean, I don’t want to bother you or anything if you’d rather continue working on your case, so you don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to,” he babbled, somewhat nervous all of a sudden.

Jinyoung continued to remain silent, pondering over his invite. Just then, he saw Daniel enter the department, storming straight over to superitenant room. Standing up, he said, “Alright; come and meet me up in an hour outside my office. But right now I have some unfinished business with my partner.” he didn’t wait for Daehwi to reply and immediately hung up his phone as he went to cut Daniel off before the superintendent’s room.

Daniel peered down at Jinyoung with a small frown. “I really don’t have the time to play games with you now, Jinyoung. There’s something I need to see the Superintendent about.” He tried to push past Jinyoung but he refused to budge.

“What have you been up to today? You’ve been acting weird since yesterday,” he asked him, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

Averting his eyes elsewhere, Daniel answered in an offhand manner, “Nothing’s really happened, Jinyoung. I just… just have a hunch about something.” He tried to push past Jinyoung again but he stopped him once more.

“You have a hunch? Then why aren’t you sharing it with me?” he shoved Daniel back roughly as he took an intimidating step towards him. “Since when have you started keeping secrets from me we're Bro right?”

Daniel just shook his head in frustration at him as he finally pushed past him and entered the room. The superintendent looked up from his paperwork to stare puzzled at Daniel’s sudden entry with Jinyoung stumbling in behind him.

“Is there… something the matter?” he asked as Daniel came to sit in the chair before him. Jinyoung remained standing behind.

“Sorry to barge in on you like this, Superintendent, but…” Daniel seemed to pause for a minute, pondering over what he wanted to say. “Has Minsoo ever been suspected of being involved in illegal activities?”

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Why are you asking me this now, Detective?” he questioned.

“I’m just… curious, that’s all,” was all Daniel was willing to say, staring at him with a look that revealed nothing of his true thoughts.

The superintendent leaned back in his chair, peering at Daniel suspiciously. “Of course Minsoo has been suspected to be involved with illegal activities. It is impossible for someone of his status to never be affected by such accusations. He has been known to associate with the leaders of the Five and is rumored to be on good terms with the other gang. But there has never been any proof to warrant an arrest of the man.” He crossed his arms over his chest, studying Daniel’s reaction to this information.

“Then… what kind of activities has he been rumored to be involved in?” asked Daniel after several minutes.

“What kind? Hmm… almost everything, I think. But from what I know of the man personally, I don’t think any of those rumors are true, especially the one about him being the leader of the Syndicate. How could the leader of the Enterprises have the time to manage both his multi billion dollar company and the most powerful organized crime group in Korea? It’s impossible.”

Daniel suddenly sat up straighter in his seat. “Minsoo has been rumored to be the Syndicate’s leader?” He then turned away, lost in thought.

He nodded slowly, wondering what was going through the young detective’s mind. “Yes… but like I said, it’s impossible.” He leaned forward to peer at Daniel. “Now will you tell me why you are suddenly asking about Minsoo?”

Daniel snapped away from his thoughts, turning to peering at him as if he had only realized that his superior was still in the room. “Oh… I… I just remembered the man and wondered whether he would be Apollyon’s next target,” he lied. “But… from what you’ve told me, it seems like my hunch was wrong.” He stood up. “Thank you for answering my questions today, Superintendent,” he thanked, bowing.

waved off Daniel’s thanks. “No worries, Detective. It’s good to see you trying to predict Apollyon’s next moves.” He stood up, giving Daniel a firm pat on the shoulder. “This isn’t the easiest case and it’s great to see that your spirit has died yet.” He then sat back down and Daniel gave him a salute

“It is my duty, Sir,” he said before leaving the office. Jinyoung followed him out behind after saluting the superintendent as well.

he ran to catch up with Daniel’s long strides. “YAA Kang Daniel! Daniel, hold up for a second!” Daniel suddenly stopped walking and Jinyoung almost collided into his back. he then walked around to face his front. “Do you mean to say the hunch you had was truly about Minsoo perhaps being Apollyon’s target?” he questioned, gazing at Daniel suspiciously.

Daniel turned to stare at him, a small, weak smile on his face. “Yep. That was my stupid hunch which turned out to be wrong.” He then pushed past Jinyoung, heading for the door.

“You’re hiding something,” Jinyoung suddenly shouted after him, causing Daniel to freeze as he was about to open the door. Smirking, he strolled towards him, elated that he had perhaps struck a nerve in him. “I know what you’re thinking, Detective Kang Daniel. We have been together since we graduated from the academy and in all those years, I have never seen you act so strangely before.” he came to stand next to him, looking up into his face. “What are you not telling me, Hyung?”

Daniel swallowed nervously, turning to gaze somewhere else. Finally, he said, “Just give me some time, Jinyoung. When I’m sure about everything, I… I promise I will tell you everything.”

Jinyoung continued to stare at Daniel, curiosity burning in him but he fought back the desire to pursue the topic further. Glancing away with his hands , he said, “Alright; I’ll wait. But answer this first: does it have anything to do with the Apollyon case?”

Again, Daniel shifted nervously on the spot with his gaze averted. “Yes,” was the silent reply before he opened the door and stepped outside.

Jinyoung had no choice but to watch him leave. He then turned away, heading back over to his desk. So the reason Daniel was acting strange was because he had found out something about Apollyon. But what exactly did he find out, that he wasn’t willing to disclose with even his own partner? Sighing, he back down on his desk with his elbows, knocking the mobile phone he had left there earlier. Then he suddenly remembered; he had agreed to go to dinner with Daehwi in an hour. Cursing slightly, he glanced at his watch and realized he had only fifty minutes left before he was to meet him. With another frustrated sigh, Jinyoung began banging his head on the table. As if Daniel’s secretiveness isn’t enough! How in the world did he agree to that rich boy’s date? He suddenly looked up, shocked. Date? Why would Daehwi want to go on a date with him of all people? He wasn’t exactly pretty, or even at that.

He sighed again, lying his head back down on the desk. he couldn’t back out of it now. There was nothing he could do but stick to his word.

* * *

_**tbc.** _


	28. Chapter 28

* * *

 

Jinyoung sat waiting on a bench outside namsan tower , playing a mobile game on his phone. He had decided to come and wait for Daehwi a little earlier as he realized there really was no point in staying at the station brooding over his dead-ends. He might as well go on this ‘date’ with Daehwi, giving himself the excuse that he was only going along with it to relax and that there was nothing more to it.

Someone suddenly came to sit on the bench beside him and began leaning towards him as if to see what he was doing. A little annoyed by the man, Jinyoung shuffled along the seat away from him, eyes still glued onto his game. The man followed him, sliding even closer than before. Angrily, Jinyoung pressed pause on his game and turned to look at the man.

“Don’t you know-” he began but stopped when he realized it was Daehwi. “Oh, it’s you,” he said simply before returning to his game.

Daehwi smiled in reply and leaned forward to look at Jinyoung’s game once more but he shouldered him to move out of the way. “Is this how you greet someone who has asked you out on a date, Detective?” teased Daehwi, still smiling.

Jinyoung’s fingers hovered over the buttons, frozen as the ‘game over’ music began playing. He then snapped his head towards Daehwi with a frown. “Who said anything about a date?” he stood up, looking anywhere else but at Daehwi. “The only reason I’m even here is because I have nothing better to do with my time.”

Raising an eyebrow, Daehwi stood up behind Jinyoung. “Well, be that the reason you came, I still consider it a date.” He then looked him up and down, taking in his appearance. “

He then looked him up and down, taking in his appearance. “But going out on a date with you dressed in a boring baseball jacket and looking casual is not going to be fun.” Grabbing his wrist, he began dragging him towards the shopping mall, two of his bodyguards following faithfully behind.

Jinyoung glanced between his hand on his wrist to his face. “Hey! Where are you taking me?”

Daehwi just smiled mysteriously as they entered the building and headed towards the shopping mall. When Jinyoung saw him dragging him towards a Tuxedo shop, he immediately stopped and pulled his hand away from Daehwi, . “Why are you taking me to this shop?” he asked.

Daehwi came to grip his hand tightly once more and began pulling the reluctant Jinyoung into the shop. “I’m taking you to improve your appearance,” he replied simply, handing him over to one of the male working in the shop. “I want you to make him look smart tonight,” he said to the man who nodded as he began leading Jinyoung into a change room at the back of the shop.

“What?” shouted Jinyoung, surprised as he tried to get away. But Daehwi managed to catch him again. “You’re going to make me wear this Tux?” he snapped, pointing at it“Remember how I told you that night at guanlin party that I was going to beat up my partner because he left me alone and forced me to wear a tux?”

Daehwi pretended to ponder the thought for a moment, before shaking his head as he pushed Jinyoung into the change room. “Nope. But I have no doubt that you really did beat up your partner over the matter and I’m not afraid to suffer the same fate. Now, behave and do what the nice man says,” he smiled before closing the door on him.

“Master has specifically chosen these Tux for you, Mr,” he said kindly, laying the expensive-looking black Tuxedo Jinyoung couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at how smart they looked. Then he caught himself and frowned at the salesman.....

 

 

Minsoo returned home early, the meeting with Harada having gone across smoothly. Their agreements were now formally renewed, with a few revisions here and there in terms of the volumes of drugs they were able to sell and buy with one another. Jihoon attended the meeting in total silence, and entered the mansion in the same fashion.

Guanlin suddenly appeared at the top of the steps, smiling brightly as he waved at them. “Abuji! It’s nice to see you home early for once!” he greeted as he made his way down.

Minsoo came to a stop, frowning as his son approached him. “You’re home early too, Guanlin. Should you not still be at our Manufacturing Sector’s office ?”

Guanlin nodded his head, still smiling. “I should but as there doesn’t seem to be anything of importance requiring my attention there, I thought I might as well come and see if there is anything I can do for the Syndicate instead.”

Minsoo’s frowned deepened as he walked past Guanlin. “There is nothing in the Syndicate that requires your attention, Guanlin. Focus only on the tasks which I have given you.”

Jihoon noticed Guanlin’s fists curl up in anger although he was still smiling brightly. “Is that so, Father?” he said through clenched teeth. Minsoo came to a stop and Guanlin turned around to face him. “Why are you keeping me away from the Syndicate now, when all my life you have been filling my head with your dreams for me to succeed you? Why, when I am finally old enough, are you refusing to let me pJinyoung a bigger role in the group?”

Slowly, Minsoo turned around to face his son, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “And here, I thought you have changed.” He took a step towards his son, looking him up and down. “You have been away from Seoul for quite some time, Guanlin. Before you can even think of playing a bigger role in the Syndicate, you should reacquaint yourself with your surroundings first. That is why I have put you in charge of our organization’s manufacturing sector.” He stared at Guanlin for a full minute before turning away and heading up the steps to his room. Jihoon stepped forward to follow him, pausing beside Guanlin.

“It seems being back under your father’s control has begun to awaken that old rebellious streak of yours, Master Guanlin,” he said quietly. “Please don’t challenge your father again. You should remember how stubborn your father is.” He bowed his head respectfully before heading up the stairs as well.

Guanlin watched him walk off, fuming slightly as he turned to stare angrily at the floor. He knew Jihoon was right. It seemed to have slipped his mind how stubborn his father could be when it came to matters dealing with the Syndicate. That was one of the reasons he had been sent overseas in the first place. Taking a deep breath to calm down, he headed out of the mansion towards his car. Now he had nothing else to do for the whole evening, as he had cleared his schedule in the hope that his father would be willing to assign him something. Starting the engine, he pulled out, Jihoon and Seongwoo watching from the window above.

“It looks like old habits die hard, huh, Jihoon?” said Seongwoo with a sly smile. Jihoon glanced at him out the corner of his eye, slightly annoyed that his comment seemed to be aimed at him as well. He turned away from the window, heading over to the room. Minsoo had already dismissed him for the day and he was forbidden to leave the premises all night.

“I heard from the Driver that some policeman was tailing you today. Care to share the details with me?” he said as he followed him.

Jihoon continued on towards his room, entering it without saying a word. However, he left the door open and Seongwoo entered, closing the door behind him. Jihoon went to sit at his desk, pulling out some of the files he was to work on. “It was nothing much. I’m pretty sure you know everything already.”

Seongwoo smiled, walking over to look out the window. “Everything… perhaps…” He then turned to peer at Jihoon, leaning back against the window. “But I suppose there would only be one person who would suddenly decide to tail you so soon after you have lost your necklace.”

Jihoon’s pen paused above the paper momentarily, before he continued writing as if nothing had happened. “I suppose so. How is jinwoo doing?” he asked, suddenly changing the topic.

“Ah Jinwoo?” repeated Seongwoo, raising an amused eyebrow. “I thought you might have forgotten about him by now. He is doing fine, living with a relative of mine.” He paused, studying Jihoon busily scribbling across his documents. “Do you want to go visit him?” he asked suddenly.

This time, Jihoon’s pen paused for a longer period of time. He began twirling it in his fingers, pondering over Seongwoo’s suggestion. Then he returned to writing on the page. “Minsoo will never allow it. I am not allowed to leave the mansion unless I am in his company, remember?”

Seongwoo nodded, standing up straight as he slowly walked back around the desk. “I remember. But… he might make an exception if you are with me.”

Jihoon put down his pen on the table, turning to face Seongwoo. “Even if he were to permit me to leave with you, I still do not want him finding out about Jinwoo.” He raised his hand, pointing at the door. “Now please leave, Seongwoo. You have been a distraction for long enough.”

Seongwoo stared back at Jihoon and their eyes connected. Turning away, he shrugged, heading towards the door. “Fine, suit yourself. We’ll be leaving in half an hour. I hope you’ll be ready by then.”

Jihoon watched as he exited the room, turning back to stare angrily at his desk. Slamming it in frustration, he then rubbed his hands on his face. Seongwoo was just playing with him. He knew that he needed to find a way to go and see Daniel tonight and it was just like him to lend him a helping hand. He didn’t want his help. He had helped him more than enough to last a lifetime.

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... I'm taking forever to reach Jihoon and Daniel meeting but only a few more chapters before then... If you've forgotten, Jinwoo is the kid Jihoon saved back in chapter 7. Haha, my mind is a total blank right now...


	29. Chapter 29

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“Stop fidgeting so much already, Jinyoung shhi. You’re attracting the attention of the other patrons,” whispered Daehwi over the table as Jinyoung sent him a glare.

“If you hadn’t forced me to wear this cursed Tuxedo then you wouldn’t have to be worrying about me fidgeting so much!” he whispered fiercely back, glancing around him , Snapping his head back at Daehwi angrily, he said quietly, “And why’d you have to bring to such an expensive restaurant?”

Daehwi chuckled quietly, taking a sip of champagne. He was enjoying the little tease he was putting him through. But it was all worth it, if he could only see him look handsome for this night.

He studied him now as he glanced around at his surroundings, truly uncomfortable. Maybe he was being a little too cruel with him, taking him out of her comfort zone so suddenly like this. But he had to admit, he had not felt so excited to be having dinner with another man in a very long time.

Jinyoung turned back to stare at Daehwi, frowning slightly when he noticed him smiling at him strangely. “What are you smiling at?” he ask,

Daehwi, snapped out of his little reverie, softly put his glass back down. “Nothing in particular… Just reminsce how we first met...''

He then stared deep into his eyes, his own eyes softening. “You really do look exceptionally handsome tonight.”

A blush crept onto Jinyoung’s cheeks as he averted his eyes.  Growing uncomfortable under Daehwi’s gaze, he was saved from having to say anything as their food arrived. The waiter gently placed his plate , before placing Daehwi’s before him. He then bowed, leaving the two to begin their meal.

Jinyoung leaned forward to study his plate, wondering what it was. As they were at an Italian restaurant, he had had no idea what to order so he had let Daehwi order for him. Daehwi, noticing how lost he was, decided to explain to him what his dish was.

“That is chicken fettuccine alfredo. Basically, it’s a type of pasta dish that is very common.”

“I know what fettuccine is,” he retort, picking up his fork to twirl a little of the pasta around it. In a quieter voice, he mumbled, “I’ve just never eaten it before.”

Daehwi just smiled as he began to eat his meal. They dined together in silence, with Jinyoung trying to hide how much he was enjoying his pasta. After they had finished, they sat back, allowing the waiter to clear their table.

“Did you enjoy that meal, Jinyoung?” asked Daehwi, sipping from his champagne glass as he turned to peer at the small orchestra located in a far corner.

Jinyoung turned to peer at the same orchestra, glancing at Daehwi out of the corner of his eye. “It was okay,” he said simply, turning his eyes back onto the musicians. Truth was he had loved the meal.

Daehwi grinned. “Then I’ll take that to mean you are satisfied with it all.” He paused, listening to the music for a while before saying, “I’m glad I managed to help you relax tonight.”

Jinyoung’s eyes suddenly fell from the orchestra as he peered down at his glass. Daehwi noticed this and turned to peer at him, waiting for him to speak. Finally, after a few minutes, Jinyoung spoke. “I feel so tired, Daehwi. Daniel… my partner… is keeping secrets about the ‘Apollyon’ case from me. He’s never been this way before in our other cases. But… with this case… it’s been so difficult. Even after we managed to finally find some witnesses to one of the murders, they turned up no more useful pieces of information besides the assassin’s gender and the necklace she wore.” he paused, turning the champagne flute around in his fingers. “I feel so useless, now that Daniel seems to want to work alone.”

The way he looked so forlorn seemed to fill Daehwi with pity and he suddenly waved the waiter over. “You shouldn’t stress too much over things you cannot solve, Jinyoung. If your partner is keeping secrets from you, then either wait for him to reveal it himself or find out what they are yourself. I’m sure it’s not beyond your abilities.” He told the waiter to bring the bill before returning to look at Jinyoung. “Let me take you somewhere else now, Jinyoung.”

Jinyoung peered back at him, confused. “Where?” he asked as the waiter returned with the bill.

“Somewhere just as interesting as you are,” Daehwi replied mysteriously as he pulled out his credit card to pay the bill.

Seongwoo pulled the car up to a stop outside a small townhouse in the outskirts of gyeongbok, abruptly removing the key from the ignition and stepping out. Jihoon continued to stare out his window at the townhouse, refusing to step out of the car. Rolling his eyes in frustration, Seongwoo came to open his door.

“What’s the point of staying in the car, Jihoon, when you’re finally here to visit the boy?” Seeing that Jihoon was still refusing to move, he went to undo his seatbelt and dragged him out of the car, which he stumbled out of reluctantly. A small smile crept onto Seongwoo’s face as he smiled, shaking his head. “Who’d have thought you’d be so nervous to see the kid?”

“I am not nervous – I think it is foolish and dangerous to bring me to Jinwoo,” snapped Jihoon, his gaze averted elsewhere.

He grinned in return before turning around to walk up to the metal gate, banging on it loudly. “Ommoni; it’s me, Seongwoo!” he shouted.

After a few minutes, a short middle aged woman appeared to slightly open the gate, peering past the narrow opening to affirm that it was indeed her nephew knocking on the door. With a big smile, she threw the gate wide open and embraced Seongwoo in a big hug. “ong Seongwoo! So you finally decided to pay your old omoni a visit!” squealed the old lady in delight.

Seongwoo fought against the older woman’s embrace, pushing her away in embarrassment as he peered over at Jihoon. The small mocking smile on his face didn’t escape his notice. “oh! I only just came to visit you last week. And how many times do I have to tell you not to hug me like that!” he whined after he had turned back to face his aunt. “I’ve brought someone over to visit  Jinwoo.”

Jihoon bowed in greeting when Seongwoo’s aunt turned in his direction, noticing his presence for the first time that night. “Good evening, Aunty.”

“ommoni, this is Jihoon, a friend of mine. Jihoon, this is my Aunt Hyojung,” introduced Seongwoo.

Hyojung smiled warmly at Jihoon as she took several steps forward to peer closely at his face. “My… you have a very beautify eyes and  handsome than what both my nephew and  Jinwoo have described you as being.” Jihoon stared back in surprise before turning to glare at Seongwoo angrily. Seongwoo shrugged in return with a small smile, slipping into the house. Hyojung suddenly came to stand behind Jihoon and began steering him by the shoulders into the house. “Well, it’s no use loitering outside in the dark here, Jihoon shhi. Why don’t we go in? I’m sure  Jinwoo would be really glad to see you again. He has been complaining that his heroic hyung must have forgotten about him since you saved him.”

Jihoon peered back over his shoulder in surprise at the old aunt, her warm words catching him off-guard. He turned to look at the front door of the house when Jinwoo suddenly appeared, grinning widely from ear to ear. He was about to rush forward to greet Jihoon when he remembered how fearsome he was and began to act calm and reserved.

“Good evening, Jihoon ah H…y..u.ng. I never thought that you would come to visit me, seeing how busy you always seem to be according to what Seongwoo tells us,” he said, trying to hide the note of excitement in his voice.

A warm smile spread across Jihoon’s face as he went to kneel before the boy. “I see you’re doing fine here, Jinwoo ah,” he said kindly, patting the boy on the head. Leaning in close to his ear, he whispered. “And don’t listen to Seongwoo too much. Tell me; what has he been saying about me behind my back?”

Jinwoo grinned back at Jihoon, glancing at Hyojung as he walked past them and into the house. “He says a lot of things to his aunt. I overheard him the last time he came over telling his aunt how worried he was about you taking a holiday in jeju. Did something happen over there?” he asked, peering worriedly into Jihoon’s face.

Jihoon glanced over Jinwoo’s shoulders into the open doorway behind where he saw Seongwoo being fussed over by ommoni. A small smile lit his face as he then peered at the ground. “That idiot…” he mumbled. Looking back up at Jinwoo, he ruffled his hair once more. “Nothing happened at Jeju Do. Seongwoo was just being stupid.” he stood up and shoved his head playfully out of the way as he walked inside. “Come on, we’re gonna freeze to death if we hang out here any longer.”

As Jihoon made his way into the house, Hyojung found him and began ushering him towards the kitchen where he saw Seongwoo sitting at a table enjoying a bowl of noodles. “Take a seat, Jihoon dear. I’ve made quite a bit of Ramen today so just sit tightly until I fix you a bowl, dear.”

Jihoon was about to refuse but the old lady had already busily begun preparing the bowl. Seongwoo looked up from behind his bowl, slurping up the long strands of noodles noisily. “She’s always like this. When I bring someone over she’ll immediately begin fussing over the person.” He turned to peer at his aunt with a warm look in his eyes.

“Is she the one who brought you up after your parents died?” asked Jihoon quietly.

Seongwoo turned back to peer at him before focusing on eating the rest of his ramen. “Yeah…” He returned to slurping noisily and Jihoon was about to ask more when Hyojung came to place a bowl before him.

“Here you go, Jihoon shi. A steaming hot bowl of ramen for you,” she said kindly.

Jihoon bowed his head in thanks. “Sorry to trouble you, aunt.”

Hyojung waved her hand to brush off the apology. “Nonsense, Jihoon. And just refer to me as ommoni like Seongwoo does. After hearing the way my nephew talks about you, it’s the least I can do for his guy.” Seongwoo literally choked on his noodles, spraying a little of the soup. Hyojung went to grab some tissues and handed them over to Seongwoo.

“Ommoni! How can you say something like that? Jihoon is not my – my – he’s just a co-worker of mine!” sighed Seongwoo as he wiped his mouth.

Hyojung smiled in a knowing way, nodding his head slyly. “Right… I’ll playing along with your game,Ong Seongwoo.” Turning to peer back at Jihoon, she gave the younger guy a wink which Jihoon responded to blankly. “You know, he always likes to complain to me about how rash you can be sometimes in the middle of a mission or how withdrawn you seem to be from everything. And now I think I know why he does.”

“Ommoni!” shouted Seongwoo in embarrassment. But Jihoon wasn’t paying any attention to his reaction.

“You know what I do?” he asked in a quiet, deadly tone. His eyes narrowed slightly and the change in Jihoon’s mood seemed to unnerve Hyojung a little. Seongwoo glanced at Jihoon, slightly worried.

Jinwoo suddenly appeared at the door to the kitchen. “Of course we do, Jihoon Hy..ung. Seongwoo told us you help him bodyguard the leader of your gang. I didn’t really believe it at first but then I remembered the way you fought that night and realized it must be true. It’s such a cool job!”

Jihoon turned to peer at Seongwoo, staring angrily into his eyes. He turned away, drinking water out of his cup. Jinwoo suddenly came to hold something out before Jihoon, looking down at the ground nervously. “This is a picture I drew a couple days ago. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get the chance to give it to you, but… well, here you are.”

Jihoon took the picture from Jinwoo, peering down at it carefully. It was a very realistic drawing of a cat, drawn in pencil. He glanced back up at Jinwoo in surprise.

“Don’t… don’t you like it, Jihoon shhi? Aunt Hyojung told me that Seongwoo had told her about you liking Cat,” said Jinwoo, feeling sad that Jihoon didn’t seem to like his picture.

Quickly throwing an angry glance over at Seongwoo, Jihoon then turned to peer at Jinwoo with a smile. “It’s a great drawing, Jinwoo ah. I love it.” He suddenly pulled the boy in for a hug. “Thank you.”

Jinwoo seemed surprised that Jihoon was hugging him but nevertheless returned his hug. He then drew away from him, turning to look back at the picture. “I never knew you could draw so well. It looks so real.”

Jinwoo peered at the floor in embarrassment, scratching the back of his head shyly. “It’s… it’s always been a small talent of mine.” He then peered up at the roof, his eyes glowing slightly. “If… if I have the chance… I would like to study art. I want to be an artist.”

Jihoon smiled, suddenly feeling a little depressed. Jinwoo already had a new goal in his life, a brighter future than before. He then found himself wondering what he would have done if fate had not sent him down this road. Reaching out a hand, he patted the boy on the head. “You’ll definitely become a great artist, Jinwoo. And I will help you in any way I can.”

Jinwoo smiled back up at Jihoon before bowing deeply. “You really are a kind person, Jihoon Hy..un….g.”

“… Perhaps,” whispered Jihoon quietly as he pulled Jinwoo in for another hug, peering back down at the drawing in his hand.

* * *

 

_**tbc.** _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm... I am taking forever to reach Jihoon and Daniel's confrontation, aren't I? But don't worry - it'll be in the next chapter. Seongwoo's affection for Jihoon does appear quite ambiguious at times, but you can just say he worries deeply for Jihoon. Jinwoo will probably not appear again in this story, so yeah...


	30. Chapter 30

* * *

 

**_= Flashback =_ **

The sound of purring  of a dozen Cats packed into a small wire cage echoed throughout the half empty warehouse they were in. A man dressed in an old, faded blue shirt and black jeans suddenly walked up to the cage and kicked it, sending the cat jumping .

“Stinking animals… I hate them. All of them.” He suddenly turned to peer at Jihoon, a small leering smile on his face. “And you will learn to hate them too.”

Jihoon peered up at the intimidating man, shrinking back from him slightly. Minsoo had sent him to him to further his training, particularly in the area of hardening his soul and destroying the kindness he showed on the very creatures that man had just kicked. The man was simply known as Xaphan, a name he had given himself after having lost what his true name was. He was renowned for his cruelty towards all creatures, a famous assassin from Russia. It was for this very reason Minsoo had entrusted him to the man’s company.

Xaphan walked over to the cage he had kick and reached into it, pulling out one of the cats. The creature squirmed in his hand as he held it up before him. “I was told you have an unwanted kindness for these pests,” he said, walking back over to where Jihoon sat on the concrete floor. He came to kneel before him, slowly turning to peer at him sadistically. “You like helping these things, don’t you?”

Suddenly, his hand tightened around the cat and Jihoon turned away in disgust as the cat gave one last painful screech before he heard the sickening crunch of its hollow bones. He began panting heavily, feeling an immense pity for the creature. Xaphan’s sadistic smile suddenly wiped off his face as he threw the cat to the floor with a thud. He reached out, pulling Jihoon up roughly by the arm.

“Get over here, you stinking kid.” He threw Jihoon at the cage and he had no choice but to grab hold of the cage to stop himself from colliding into it painfully. Xaphan came to kneel down beside Jihoon, pulling him back roughly by the hair. “It’s your turn. Pick one.”

Jihoon opened his eyes to peer back defiantly at the man. Xaphan saw this and pulled his hair even more roughly back, causing Jihoon to let out a gasp of pain. He leaned in close to his ear, whispering, “Take one and crush it.”

His eyes darted to the cage next to him, the incessant Purring of the Cat echoing loudly in his ears. He didn’t want to do what the man wanted him to do but there was no choice. If he didn’t do as he said, he would definitely suffer for it later.

Reluctantly, Jihoon opened the cage and pulled out a Cat. His heart twisted in that familiar ache of regret and sorrow for what he was about to do. Closing his eyes, he tried to ignore the way the cat was struggling squirming in his hand and tightened his grip around it.

**_= End Flashback =_ **

Jihoon was snapped back from his dark memories as the car came to a stop in a very familiar car park. He turned to peer at Seongwoo with a frown while he continued to stare ahead of him with a blank look on his face.

“I thought you were going to take me back to the mansion,” he said quietly, still staring at him angrily.

Seongwoo turned to look at his hands which were still resting on the steering wheel. “Minsoo doesn’t know how long I will be taking you out with me to check up on ‘things’. If you have something you want to do, I suggest now’s your chance.”

Jihoon’s eyes narrowed slightly before turning to stare before him. “You knew all along, didn’t you?” When Seongwoo didn’t answer, he continued. “And you should know I don’t want you to help me anymore.”

Seongwoo turned to look at Jihoon seriously. “Just go already, Jihoon…Jihooonie... I know you love him and you should not have to suffer any-”

“How many times do I have to tell you it was not your fault that I have become what I am now?” shouted Jihoon as he slammed his hand against the dashboard. “I was the one who agreed to Minsoo’s plans! I was the one who endured the training just so I could satisfy my childish thirst for revenge! If anyone is to blame, it is me!” he curled his fist up, leaning against it on his window. “You saved me from that drunken bastard that night, Seongwoo. You could not have known that bringing me to Minsoo would have caused him to recruit me as his assassin.”

Silence fell between them both, Jihoon staring out the window to his left while Seongwoo stared out the front window. He then turned to peer at Jihoon. “Jihonnie… just go and get this over with, alright?”

Jihoon turned to glare at Seongwoo before angrily unbuckling his belt. He stepped out of the car, slamming the door behind his. Seongwoo watched quietly as he began the ascent into the mountains towards the hut he knew was hidden up there. Letting out a tired sigh, he leant back against the chair, tilting his head up as he massaged his temples. A small sad smile spread across his face as he began to chuckle softly. It was just like him, putting all the blame on himself. Just like him, telling him off for helping him too much. And just like him, for knowing exactly what was going through his mind.

Jinyoung peered out his window in confusion as Daehwi brought the car to a stop outside seoul Zoo. He had long since dismissed his bodyguards and driver, saying that he would be fine under ‘Detective Daehwi’ protection. he turned to glare at him suspiciously now.

“What are we doing outside of the Zoo? Don’t you know it’s closed at around this time?” he asked.

Daehwi turned to smile at Jinyoung mischievously. “Sometimes, it’s not all that bad being my father’s son. There are some perks that come along with the position.” He then stepped out of the car and began making his way over to the entrance of the zoo.

Jinyoung hurried out after him. “Wait up, Daehwi!”

A zookeeper stepped out to meet Daehwi at the entrance, shaking his hand with a big smile on his face. “Good evening, Master . Everything has been prepared according to your instructions, Sir. I hope you and the miss will have a pleasant evening.” He then handed Daehwi a set of keys.

“Thanks,” said Daehwi. He then grabbed Jinyoung’s hand and began dragging him inside. Jinyoung began slapping his arm, attempting to pry his fingers from his hand to no avail.

“Where are you taking me, Daehwi?” he demanded.

They finally came to a stop before a white golf cart. Daehwi released Jinyoung’s hand and went to sit behind the driver’s seat. “I’m taking you on a night safari tour of the Zoo,” he said, starting the engine.

“A night safari?” repeated Jinyoung, peering at Daehwi in confusion. “Why are you taking me on some night safari?”

“Because,” he began, stepping out of the golf cart to bring Jinyoung over to the passenger’s side. “I’m trying to make you relax and what better way to relax than for a nice visit to the zoo.”

Jinyoung went to sit in the passenger’s seat reluctantly, peering around him with a worried expression. “But the zoo is supposed to be closed. You really shouldn’t abuse your power like this.”

Daehwi turned to peer at Jinyoung with a frown. “Who said I’m abusing my power? I only asked a friend of mine for a favour, that’s all.” He then began driving the golf cart, heading towards the first exhibit.

“I’m sure you have ‘friends’ in all walks of life,” mumbled Jinyoung sarcastically as he conceded to staring out at their surroundings. Daehwi threw him an amused smile before turning back to concentrate on driving.

They continued on through the zoo in a similar fashion, Daehwi stopping every now and then at exhibits of interest. It pleased him whenever he saw Jinyoung exclaim wildly as he managed to spot the animals hiding in their habitats and then try to hide his excitement as he realised what he had done. After nearly an hour, Daehwi finally drove the golf cart back towards the entrance of the zoo.

“I hope you enjoyed tonight as much as I did, Jinyoung,” he said, several minutes after he had turned off the engine of the golf cart.

A small smile lit Jinyoung’s face in the gloom as he peered down , “It was nice. Thank you, Daehwi.”

Daehwi couldn’t stop the grin spreading on his face as he let out a nervous laugh. He then turned to peer at Jinyoung with a warm look on his face. “Whenever you’re feeling down, don’t hesitate to call me, okay, Jinyoung?”

Jinyoung turned to peer at him, his brow creased in amused confusion. “Why are you being so nice to me, Daehwi?”

There was a short silence before Daehwi suddenly leant forwards and planted a quick kiss on Jinyoung’s lips. “Because I like you.” He suddenly stepped out of the golf cart, leaving Jinyoung still sitting with a shocked look on his face. “Come on, it’s really late.” He then turned around, peering at Jinyoung with his hands in his pockets and a small smile on his face. “I’ll take you home.”

Jinyoung sat frozen to his seat, watching as Daehwi walked out of the zoo. he then snapped out of his daze, stepping out of the golf cart to follow him at a distance. His hand slowly travelled up to her lips, feeling them in disbelief. Daehwi had just kissed him, and on top of that, he had told him he liked him. This was the first time anything of the sort had happened to him and he didn’t know how to react. He wasn’t sure if he even felt the same way about Daehwi. Quietly, he entered his car and together they drove off, saying not a single word to each other.

* * *

 

**_= Flashback =_ **

It was a bright, warm sunny day as Daniel, Minhyun, Seungwoon,Woojin and Jaehwan came to stand before the large open pit into which Jihoon coffin was being lowered into. Minhyun and the woojin peered at Daniel in concern. He had not said a word to anyone since the day at the hospital and they were growing worried that he might do something rash. It had been five days since the accident and they had only just managed to clear the paper work for his body.

The funeral director said a few words, the usual that was said about any dearly missed soul. Daniel did not hear one word of it, his eyes still fixed on the plain wooden coffin as it was slowly lowered. Once the director had finished his words, one by one, the guests threw in a white rose each and the last to do so was Daniel. Slowly, he walked over to the edge of the grave, kneeling down on one knee as he fought back the tears in his eyes.

Reluctantly, he placed the rose onto Jihoon coffin, unwilling to bring his hand back up once he had released the stalk. This was it. He had no choice but to accept his death. He was gone from him forever. Just the thought of it made his heart ache terribly. He had gone to find Seongwoo the next day after his death only to find he had permanently closed the pub down and disappeared. As he remembered the man all his frustration returned. He was going to make him pay, one way or another.

**_= End Flashback =_ **

* * *

 

Daniel sat leaning against the post that held up the roof of the hut, staring at the bright moon illuminating the night sky. Rooney sat perched on his knee as he absently stroked the Cat, waiting patiently for Jihoon to arrive. He had been waiting at the hut for several hours now and every now and then he doubted whether he would even turn up, but something told him he would.

A slight rustle was heard from the edge of the clearing and Daniel turned to peer at the trees, sitting up straighter when he noticed Jihoon standing hidden in the shadows. Rooney suddenly let out a loud purr meow and rush over and Jihoon’s outstretched his arm, a soft affectionate rumbling emanating from its chest as he stroked its heads. That was all the proof Daniel needed.

“I wasn’t sure you would come… Jihoonie,” he said, turning to peer back up at the moon.

Jihoon eyed Daniel, his heart beating fast from a mixture of nervousness and excitement, an uncomfortable yet pleasant feeling. Hearing him call him by his true name destroyed any intention he had left of trying to lie to him further. he transferred Rooney to hug as he came to sit on the porch beside him. “In the end, you finally found out the truth.”

Daniel snapped his head down to stare angrily at Jihoon. “The ‘truth’? What is the ‘truth’?” He stood up, walking away as he ran his hands through his hair. “7 years, Jihoonie…Seven years. For ten long years, I believed you were dead. I believed you were really hit by that car, that you were no longer alive only to find…” His sentence trailed off as he then angrily kicked at the dirt with and anguished shout.

Jihoon watched him calmly, slowly closing his eyes as he tried to hold back the guilt and sorrow he felt. He knew it would not be easy for someone to suddenly realize that someone they thought dead is in fact, alive and now an assassin. And it would be even more so for Daniel since he loved him and was the one in charge of his case.

“I really was hit by that car, Euigeon,” he said quietly after a few minutes when he felt that he had calmed down enough. He turned around to peer at him in surprise. “The whole thing was staged and I was officially dead for ten minutes.”

Daniel watched him carefully as he waited for Jihoon to continue. He kept his eyes downcast. “Do you… want to hear everything?” he asked, a faint desperate note in his voice. In his heart he was hoping that he would hear him out yet dreaded having to tell him the truth.

He continued to stare at him, his eyes scrutinizing hin thoroughly. Then finally, he came to sit on the porch with his back facing jihoon. “I’m listening.”

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happpy New years guys ! not sure if u guys are still following this very looong fic haha....
> 
> finally Daniel knows & thanks for the Kudos guys till the next update:)..


	31. Chapter 31

**_“I’m listening.”_ **

* * *

 

Jihoon turned to stare at his back, a sorrowful look in his ethereal eyes. He then turned to stare ahead as he position Rooney from the couch and placed him on his lap where he began stroking him in an attempt to soothe himself.

“My mother never killed my stepfather. I did.” He saw his back stiffen slightly out the corner of his eye. “He tried to rape me and I stabbed a broken bottle into his throat. Then, two years later I killed a drunken man who was attempting to kidnap me in order to… rape me.” Jihoon looked down at Rooney, laughing at himself pathetically. “I seemed to attract those kinds of men, before I became...” His voice trailed off as silence fell between them. They both knew what he meant. “I met Seongwoo when he came to try and help me from that drunken bastard and I ended up using his gun to kill the man. He then took me to… his boss, who is now mins....”

Daniel remained motionless and Jihoon could not tell what his reaction was. As he was about to continue with his story, Daniel suddenly said, “Minsoo.”

Jihoon snapped his head in Daniel’s direction as he glared at his back suspiciously. The look soon faded from his face as his sorrowful look returned. “I should have known you would have figured that out as well, Euigeon. You truly are a great detective, just as you have always wanted to be.”

He turned around to peer at his, his face a knot of frustration and anger. “Why did you still go and work for him then? And not only as his secretary, but as his – his –”

“Assassin?” offered Jihoon weakly. A bitter smile then curved his face. “Because I wanted revenge. Because I wanted to forget the guilt of killing someone. And because… I hated myself.”

Daniel suddenly jumped towards him, gripping Jihoon’s shoulders tightly as he shook him, startling Rooney off his lap. “Revenge? To forget guilt? ARE you insane, Jihoonie? And how could you hate yourself when I… **when I love you**.” He suddenly pulled him towards him, embracing him tightly as he slowly stroked his hair. “I love you, Jihoonie, and I still do . There wasn’t a day that went by when I didn’t miss you, that I still blame myself for causing your death. I… love you… Jihoon…”

Jihoon closed his eyes as his arms went around Daniel, returning his embrace. he breathed his scent in deeply, a deep, longing regret for the pain and misery he had put him through, wishing to return to the time before he had met Minsoo. The sound of his beating heart echoed loudly in his ear and he smiled as he held him tighter. “I know, Euigeon… And I love you too.” He suddenly loosened his grip on him as he peered down in surprise. Jihoon used this chance to pull away from him, wiping away the tears that had formed in the corner of the eyes. “But I haven’t finished telling you my story.”

Daniel continued to study his face as he kept his eyes averted, before shifting to sit down properly beside him. He reached out to hold his hand in his. “Then tell me everything.”

he turned to peer at his hand in his before looking up into his face where their eyes met. Even though there was some hint of fear and anger in them, Jihoon did not fail to notice the encouragement and love that shone in them. He gripped his hand more tightly before he spoke. “I suppose you would want to know how I managed to survive that car accident…”

* * *

 

**_\- 7 Years Ago -_ **

Jihoon had been staring out the window at the night sky, thinking over his meeting with Daniel earlier when he suddenly heard a knock on the door. Turning to peer behind him, he said, “Come in.”

The door slowly opened and he saw Seongwoo’s head poke around the corner. Turning to peer back outside the window, he heard the soft sounds of his steps and then the chair at his desk sliding. Silence enveloped the room like a heavy fog until Seongwoo finally spoke.

“Minsoo has decided to start your new life tomorrow,” he said, waiting to see a response from Jihoon. When he received none, he then continued. “He wants to… kill the old Jihoon.”

At this, Jihoon spun around to face him, glaring at the man in shocked suspicion. “Kill the old me? What do you mean by that?”

Seongwoo raised his hands in the air as if to defend himself from an attack. “Hey, what I mean is he wants to fake your death and give you a new identity.” Jihoon’s glare turned deadly. “Don’t lash out at me over it because it’s Minsoo’s plan, not mine.” Jihoon continued to glare at him for another minute before turning to stare back out his window. Seongwoo lowered his hands, glancing around the room as he tried to figure out the best way to tell him the details of the plan. His eyes then fell on the metal tin he had retrieved from the hut. “Do you really understand what ‘new life’ Minsoo intends to give you?” Again, he was met by silence. “He intends to train you as his assassin.”

Jihoon’s head seemed to lower down from the night sky as he raised his hands to peer at. “Is that so…?” His fists then curled into tight balls, his fingernails biting into his palms Knuckle turning white. “It seems I will never escape killing in this lifetime.”

Seongwoo felt a sudden tug in his heart as he watched Jihoon come to terms with this new revelation. He suddenly realized that what he was feeling was pity for the guy, mixed with some new feeling: guilt.'' He realized that if he had not brought Jihoon to Minsoo, he would never be in this position. After a few minutes, he sat up straighter, chasing those thoughts out of his head.

“For Minsoo’s plan to work, we will need a witness to your death. I told him about your little rendezvous with that boy in the mou-”

“You what?” snapped Jihoon as he turned to face him with a panicked expression. “How much did you tell him?”

Seongwoo continued to eye Jihoon until he began to grow uncomfortable under his scrutinizing stare and turned away. A small smile curved his lips. “Not much. I didn’t tell him his name, if that counts. And I didn’t tell him about that box, either,” he said, pointing at the metal tin. Jihoon’s eyes darted to the object and he pulled it closer to his side. “What I told him was that you were worried about these cats you kept on the mountain and ran in to some guy who seemed to be close with you.”

“Oh…” was Jihoon’s soft reply. Suddenly, he felt thankful that Seongwoo had helped him protect Daniel.

“Anyway, back to the plan. Like I was saying, we need a witness and Minsoo said it has to be your friend. He wants you to call him out for a meeting or something.” He stared at Jihoon hopefully, waiting for his answer.

However, Jihoon continued to remain quiet. Seongwoo shifted on his seat, trying to see his face. He then snapped back to his original position when Jihoon finally spoke. “Why does it have to be him? And… what will he see?”

Taking a deep breath, Seongwoo then let out a sigh. He knew Jihoon wasn’t going to be too willing, especially since he knew the boy was important to him. “He will see you get hit by a car, right in before his eyes. And it has to be him because the best witness is someone who knows you really well.”

More silence. Seongwoo continued to wait patiently as he let Jihoon think over it all. It was not an easy decision, to go along with this absurd plan and lie to Daniel. And it wasn’t a small lie – they were playing with death here. It was not a decision to make lightly.

After nearly twenty minutes, Jihoon finally spoke. “I won’t have to call him out. He’ll come to find you.”

Seongwoo, who had lain his head down on the back of the chair in exhaustion as he waited suddenly looked up in surprise at Jihoon’s statement. “He’ll come to me? How?”

“He knows I am with you. He heard me say your name. He is determined and he has… links. He’ll find out where you live, and probably by tomorrow if he continues to act as crazy as he has been lately about me.” he then fell silent, refusing to say more.

He continued to peer at him, his brow creasing slightly in worry. “So this means you’re going along with Minsoo’s plan? Did I tell you that you’ll be really hit by a car?”

“No, you failed to mention that one little detail. But it doesn’t matter in the end, doesn’t it? My life now belongs to Minsoo. He is free to do whatever he pleases with it.”

Seongwoo’s frown only deepened. Then suddenly, he stood and came to pull Jihoon up onto his feet. he glared up at him as he pulled his hand out of his grip. “Where are you taking me?” he snapped.

He only came to grab his hand once more and began dragging him out of the room. “To practice being hit by the car, of course! You don’t think Minsoo wants a crippled assassin, now, do you?”

“Practice? How?” asked Jihoon in surprise but Seongwoo refused to answer him.

* * *

 

**_\- Present Day -_ **

“… I was to practice rolling onto the bonnet of the car, jumping slightly so that I could lessen the impact. Of course, I was still injured in the accident and remained in hospital for two months,” Jihoon ended his tale.

Daniel remained quiet as he absorbed this information. His thumb slowly stroked Jihoon’s hand absently. “If the accident didn’t kill you, then why weren’t you breathing when you came out of the operating theatre?”

Jihoon let out another tired sigh. “Another cruel trick of Minsoo’s. I was injected with a sedative that induces a death-like state for ten minutes. So technically… I was dead when you saw me.”

He turned to peer at Jihoon in disbelief before glancing away, running his free hand through his hair. It was all hard to believe… Jihoon was really still alive and as… Jihoon. His brow then creased as he realized something else that had been bugging him.

“You know, Jihoon… I have been wondering about this since I first began suspecting that both Jihoon and Jihoon is the same person. It seemed incredibly… stupid of Minsoo to allow your new identity to retain the same birth date and surname. Wouldn’t it have been obvious to change all that?”

A smile spread on Jihoon’s face as he turned to peer at Daniel. “Who said it was Minsoo’s idea to keep Jihoon’s birth date on Jihoon’s profile?”

Daniel turned to peer at Jihoon in confusion. “If he didn’t do it then… who? You?”

Jihoon shook his head. “No, Seongwoo did.”

“Seongwoo? That bastard who took you to see Minsoo in the first place?” snapped Daniel in disbelief.

A slight frown creased Jihoon’s brow. “You should be thanking him even more, for he has risked a lot to help me. It was he who went behind Minsoo’s back and changed my birth date to my real one. To this day, Minsoo still has not realized it. And as for the surname being the same, it just so happens that the identity I have been living with truly existed and Minsoo decided to keep it seeing as Park is quite a common surname. If you check back on  Park jihoon medical history, you’ll realize that he was hospitalized for several months due to a car accident at the same time as Park Jihoon. It was all part of Minsoo’s plan, to hit him with a car on the same day and switch his dead body with mine.”

Daniel heaved a sigh as Rooney suddenly hopped onto his lap. He began absently stroking the cat . “Why did you change your birth date back then?”

Jihoon turned to peer up at the sky, a soft look in his eyes. “Because I didn’t want to lose all of myself. If there was anything I wanted to keep, it would have to be the day my mother gave birth to me. My mother was my whole life and I love her deeply. But I soon came to realize that she would be disappointed in me, at the path I have chosen in life.”

He turned to peer at Jihoon’s upturned face, studying it under the pale glow of the moon. He moved a hand to brush the stray fringe from his eyes. “You said you became… ‘Apollyon’… because you wanted revenge.”

Jihoon’s face then fell as his eyes darkened. “Yes… I wanted to kill the bitch that killed my mother.”

A faint glimmer of pity flickered in Daniel’s eyes as he peered at him, remembering the tantrum he had thrown when he found out that his mother’s murderer had walked free. “Who was she?” he asked, unsure whether he wanted to know.

“Apollyon’s first victim,” replied Jihoon.

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There. Now you have the last remaining details about Jihoon's accident and why his b'day is still the same &surname it sounds stupid I know but I’ve no other idea of names... Heh, I'm not so confident that it's all believable, but yeah, this is a fictional story afterall ;  
> Next Chapter: The story of Apppolyon's first murder and what will Daniel do now he knows.
> 
> till the next ;)!


	32. Chapter 32

_\- Seven Years Ago -_

* * *

 

“How was your stay in Chicago, ‘Jihoon’,” teased Seongwoo with a small smirk as he came to grab Jihoon’s bags outside the front of Minsoo Mansion. Even though there were plenty of other servants around to do just that, Seongwoo had insisted on being the one to grab his bags.

Jihoon threw him an irritated glare as he silently walked past him and into the building. Seongwoo was fooling around as usual. He had been in Chicago for the past month with him, helping him sort out the affairs of the real Park Jihoon parents’ death until he had to return to Korea first a week ago. Their bodies had only been recently found, buried in the middle of a forest for three years. It was assumed that they had been the unfortunate victims of a hit and run, except the culprit had taken the effort to hide their bodies. But they knew better; Minsoo had had them murdered long ago, the bodies having only been found now that he had deemed Jihoon’s training was complete.

he was about to head down the familiar route towards his room in the back of the mansion when Seongwoo suddenly jogged to grab him by the arm.

“Minsoo has given you a new room, now that you’re actually living in his house .” Staring at Seongwoo with an expressionless look, Jihoon allowed him to lead him up the stairs and towards a room located several doors past Guanlin’s room.

His eyes darted at the closed door as they walked by. He remembered the last time he had seen the spoilt brat, gladly seeing him off behind Minsoo at the airport. After all, he had been the one who told Minsoo about the cat he had kept hidden in his closet, thus leading to him being sent to Xaphan for those horrible months of animal cruelty. A slight shudder ran down his back as images of animals being tortured at the vile hands of Xaphan returned to his mind.

Seongwoo opened the door to his new room, waving Jihoon in. “This is the room Minsoo has had prepared for you, Jihoon. After you have settled in, he wants to see you in his office.” He stepped in to place Jihoon’s bags inside before leaving the room, patting Jihoon on the shoulder.

Jihoon peered over his shoulder as Seongwoo closed the door behind him, turning back to stare at his new room. It was far larger than his previous room, which had been a small rats nest compared to this lavish abode. He strolled over to the window, glancing over the large queen sized bed to the shelves that adorned the walls. Stepping up to the window that sat behind the large ebony desk, he stared out at the magnificent view of the gardens. With a bored expression on his face, he turned to peer at the desk where he spotted a handwritten letter lying in the middle.

‘Welcome back, my dear Jihoon.

I hope you will find this room suitable for your tastes, a gift of sorts for your devotion and hard work all these years. There is a secret hidden in this room, a secret only meant for you, my dear. In the shelf directly to your left lies a secret compartment carrying an arsenal of weapons that now belong to you. Look around a little and I am sure you will figure out how to access it.

Once you have found it, come to my room instantly.

Minsoo.’

Jihoon picked up the letter, folding it up neatly into a small square. Then, taking a small, silver lighter out of his pocket, he set the piece of paper on fire, throwing it in to the metal wastebasket beside the desk. He watched as the corners of the paper blackened and curled, turning away to face the shelf only when the flame had begun to die down. Taking a step towards it, Jihoon began studying the shelf, walking up and down its length as he pondered how the secret compartment would be opened. As he was about to pace back towards the window for the third time, a small irregularity under one of the shelves in the corner of the wall next to the window caught his eye. Walking over to it, Jihoon peered closely at it to find that a switch was hidden in a small hollow in the wall, invisible to anyone unless they were looking for it. Extending his hand towards it, he pressed the switch, stepping back in surprise when the whole shelf suddenly swung out, waiting for him to open it fully.

He went to pull the shelf door outwards, revealing the horde of weapons Minsoo had promised would be in there. His eyes traveled over the swords and daggers, guns and knives, with a mixture of disgust and fondness. Every single item that sat in this compartment was a weapon Jihoon was trained to use, although his skill with some of them was mediocre at best and he had yet to improve on them. A thought suddenly entered his mind and he strolled over to his suitcase, hefting it up onto his bed where he began hurriedly unzipping it. Pulling out some of his clothes as neatly as possible, he finally reached what he was looking for – the metal tin that has been with him for nearly his entire life. Slowly, he picked it up, his hand softly tracing the dents in its lid before he turned to carry it over to the hidden compartment where he hid it among the other tins of similar appearance.

It had occurred to him that hiding his tin in this compartment would be for the best, better than having to carry it around with him and hiding it in his belongings, a habit he had developed when Guanlin had snuck into his room one night to go through its contents after he had caught him going through its contents once before, which had caused Jihoon to break the ceramic water whistle. Throwing one last look at the tin, he pulled the compartment closed with a final click.

Jihoon was forced to wait patiently behind Minsoo’s desk while he sorted through his paperwork. He took this chance to meditate, remembering the last time he had been forced to wait as a test of his patience. Finally, after nearly an hour of waiting, Minsoo put his pen down to look up into Jihoon’s serene face, his eyelids closed.

“An improvement from the last time, Jihoon,” he said with a small smile.

Jihoon opened his eyes to stare at him blankly, bowing his head in deference. “Thank you, Master .”

Minsoo waved off his formality, leaning back in his chair as he studied him. “It has been a while since I last saw you, Jihoon. Close to… five months?”

“Around that, Master ,” replied Jihoon. Prior to leaving for Chicago, Jihoon had been spending several months in Japan under the guise of an exchange student. And an exchange student he was, but not at the school that was written down on his visa. He had undergone a brief course by an elite cult of assassins, where he had been able to cultivate his love of the sword and dagger. Minsoo had planned on Jihoon staying in Japan for a longer period of time but certain things had come up and he could not wait any more.

Minsoo went to grab a black file which lay to his left, tossing it over to Jihoon’s side of the desk. “I thought you might be interested in this piece of information, the reason why I decided to have you properly take up your identity.”

Jihoon eyed the file curiously before reaching out to pick it up and open it. His blood ran cold when he saw the picture and read the name of the woman she dreaded the most. “Rachel Wang …” whispered Jihoon through gritted teeth. His grip on the file tightened slightly.

Minsoo smiled nonchalantly at the reaction he had evoked from Jihoon. “That page you are staring at now is just her basic info, but the next page holds some more interesting info about the woman who murdered your mother.”

With slightly trembling hands, Jihoon turned the page to scan the notes. His eyes widened when he read that Rachel was now the fourth in command . There were notes about what aspects of the gang’s business she was involved in and these Jihoon briefly skimmed over.

“Interesting, isn’t it? Although I believe your training is far from complete but if we delay the matter of your revenge any longer, it will perhaps become increasingly difficult for you to accomplish. At the present level you are currently at, I believe you should be more than capable of assassinating the fourth in command , without too much difficulty. What do you think, Jihoon?”

Jihoon turned back to the first page of the file, staring at the picture of the woman who had murdered his mother pointlessly. Rachel was a large, rough looking woman, a cold, brutal glint in his eyes which was still present even in a photo. A tattoo of a snake began at the corner of his right cheek, curling all the way down his neck and onto his back. Just staring at the picture ignited the thirst for revenge which had been driving Jihoon through all these years of training.

He glanced up to look at Minsoo, remembering to control his emotions. “If Master believes in my capabilities, I am more than willing to abide by your wishes,” he replied with a bow of his head in a calm voice which hid the excitement that had coursed through him only moments ago.

Minsoo nodded his head in approval. “Very well, you may go and make the necessary preparations with Seongwoo, who will be assisting you on this mission. Her routinely activities are detailed within that file and I would like to wish you luck with your first, true killing.”

Jihoon looked up to meet Minsoo’s eyes for a second, noting the dangerous glow he had in them before averting his eyes elsewhere. While it may be true that this would be his first professional killing, he had killed many before in the past three years, which consisted of mainly those who had been sent to train with him or were deemed useless to Minsoo or the other gangs he had gone to train with.

He stood up realizing that Minsoo had dismissed him, bowing to him before turning to leave. However, he was stopped by the older man as he was halfway across the room.

“Have you thought about the question I left you with before you left for Japan?” he suddenly asked.

Jihoon slowly turned back around to face Minsoo, his head still bowed low. “Yes, Master . I have finally decided on my alias.”

Minsoo’s eyebrows rose as he smiled a curious twinkle to his dangerous eyes. “Oh?”

He raised his head up to meet Minsoo’s eyes. “I would like to be known as Apollyon.”

“Really…?” The smile on his face slowly faded as he pondered the alias. “Care to share the reason why, if there is any?”

Jihoon lowered his head once more. “Apollyon… is the ideal time for an assassination. It is a time when everything is at its quietest, a time when one least expects someone to come and end their life. It is also the time of day when the sun is about to rise, trying to shed its light to alleviate the gloom, but barely filtering over the horizon. as it means The Angel of Death.”

A melancholy silence fell in the room as Minsoo absorbed all of what Jihoon had said. Suddenly, he went to pick up his pen and retrieved one of the files from his never ending pile. “Then so be it. From this day forward, you are now known as Apollyon by night and Jihoon by day.”

Jihoon lay in wait, leaning against the wall beside the door on the inside of Rachel’s bedroom. He and Seongwoo had come to the conclusion, after going through Rachel’s activities thoroughly, that the best way to catch her off-guard would be to surprise her within her own room in the expensive apartment she owned in Korea. His lock picking skills had finally been put to use as the woman did not have the time yet to see to it that the security for her apartment was upgraded, now that she was recognized as being one of the higher ranked members of the gang. An arrogant mistake which will definitely prove to be fatal...

A faint cackle was heard from his earpiece as Seongwoo’s voice transmitted up from his post below. “The target has finally entered the building, Apollyon. This is your time to shine.”

Jihoon closed his eyes as he leant his head back against the wall. The moment had finally arrived. In a few minutes, Rachel Wong, the woman who had murdered his mother for no reason, will be stepping through the front door, through that door to his right…

His eyes flew open as he heard the click of the front door opening and then closing. Jihoon stiffened at the sound as he counted the number of footsteps it would take to reach the bedroom door, the grip on his short sword tightening as his heart beat wildly in anticipation. His eyes darted down to the doorknob which had begun to slowly turn and Jihoon readied himself, waiting for the right moment to launch his attack.

The door finally opened and as Rachel was about to grope about in the darkness to his right for the light switch to the bedroom light, a flash of steel suddenly caught his eye. But the warning the momentary glint had given him was not enough for the woman to react. The blade cut quickly and cleanly through the woman’s tendons in her elbows and knees, Jihoon’s movement too quick for the large woman to follow. She fell to the ground, her limbs rendered useless as blood oozed from the wounds, staring up in fear at the black clad woman before her.

“Wh… who are you?” she stuttered, realization Dawning on her as she realized she was about to die.

Jihoon went to remove the mask that had been covering his face, staring down at the woman with a furious hatred burning in his eyes. “I am Appoloyn, the sons of the one you murdered for no reason in jail. You probably don’t remember her, seeing as it happened nearly four years ago. But consider this as payback for all the crimes you have committed, Rachel Wong.” With that, Jihoon stepped over the crumpled body, turning back only to shallowly cut the woman’s throat before walking over to lean against the back of a sofa to watch the woman to slowly bleed to death before her eyes, an empty feeling in his heart.

 

* * *

 

\- Present Day -

Daniel grip on Jihoon’s hand had steadily grown tighter as he continued to tell him of his first murder under Apollyon’s name. He let him squeeze his hand tightly, not uttering a single gasp of pain as the circulation to his fingers dwindled. Only when Jihoon had finished talking had Daniel realised how tightly he was gripping Jihoon’s hand and he loosened his grip. Jihoon looked up at him in understanding before turning to gaze away.

“Now that you have heard the confession of Apollyon’s first murder, what are you going to do about it?” he took in a deep breath, closing his eyes as he savored the night breeze. “I am completely at your mercy, Euigeon . To be honest with you, I no longer want to continue this two-sided life, the life of an assassin. If you want to arrest me, then do so now.” Jihoon suddenly held his hands out for Daniel to handcuff him.

Daniel stared at him horrified, peering down at his hands. He remained quiet for some time, slowly coming to hold Jihoon’s pale small wrists in the moonlight as he thought over all of what Jihoon had told him tonight. Then suddenly, he drew Jihoon towards him in another tight embrace. “How can I arrest the one I love, Jihoonie? Do you think that I can be so cold hearted as to do that?” He pulled him back slightly, placing a soft kiss on his forehead. “I lost you once before, Jihoon. I am not going to lose you again.”

Suddenly, he pulled him to his feet and began dragging him away from the hut. Jihoon pulled away from him. “Where are you taking me?” he asked.

He came back to hold his hand. “Come with me, Jihoonie. Don’t go back to Minsoo. Together, we can make Apollyon disappear forever.” As he began pulling Jihoon along once more, he pulled his hand out of his again.

“I can’t, Euigeon. For you to arrest me is one thing, but if I am to run away with you… it will put us in more danger than we are already in. I… I cannot do that to you,” he finished in a weak voice. he closed his eyes in frustration as he turned away and headed back towards the hut. he hated how weak he was feeling right now, hated how he did not dare to follow along with Daniel foolish plan of running away.

Daniel watched as he went to lean against the post of the hut’s porch, his head resting on his forearm. After a few minutes, he slowly walked over to him, his arms encircling him gently from the back as he leant his chin against his shoulder. “I don’t care about danger, Jihoonie… as long as I can be with you, nothing else matters in this world.”

He felt Jihoon inhale deeply before turning around to face him. He slowly raised his hand, shyly reaching out to stroke his face. His hand then covered him as he leant his face into it. “Euigeon Daniel… I cannot bring myself to hurt you for a second time. I promise nothing will happen to me if I remain by Minsoo’s side but if he finds out that you know the Jihoon is not really dead… I just don’t want you to get hurt. I love you, Euigeon, and the fact you have forgiven me so easily is just too good to be true.”

“I haven’t forgiven you, Jihoonie, but I love you too much to stay angry at you for too long,” he whispered quietly, his eyes darkening.

Their eyes remained locked on one another, an invisible force drawing his face ever closer to him. Jihoon slowly closed his eyes in anticipation as he felt Daniel lips softly cover him, gently urging his lips apart as he deepened the kiss. He hungrily pulled him closer, losing himself to the momentary bliss and pleasure his kisses brought to him. His kiss suddenly became more devouring in response, as all the passion and longing he had felt for him these past 7 years finally surfaced in the hope of being satisfied. Jihoon felt his tongue suddenly dart into his mouth and he met it with his own as Daniel slowly began steering him to lie down on the porch.

He broke the passionate kiss then to plaster hot kisses all over his face and down his neck, a small moan emanating from Jihoon as he felt himself come alive in places he had never dreamt possible. But that feeling was suddenly shattered as Rooney let out a loud Purr .

Daniel looked up to see the Cat standing nearby on the porch watching intently, his head cocked to one side. A small growl slipped from Daniel as he was about to shoo the cat, but Jihoon held him back.

“I think Rooney was right to stop us there. We don’t have time for this.” he shuffled out from under Daniel, who refused to budge, his head hung low like a child denied a treat he had long been longing for. he couldn’t help but laugh at the image.

Daniel peered up at Jihoon in surprise, a smile curving his lips as he watched Jihoon laugh. With a sigh, he sat up properly beside Jihoon, his arm snaking around his shoulders as he pulled him in to lie against his chest. “Alright… but this time only, Jihoonie, because I finally got to hear you laugh.” Jihoon’s laughter soon died down and the smile on Daniel face faded as he realized that they would have to part soon, not knowing the next time they could meet one another. “Are you really going to go back to Minsoo, Jihoon?”

Jihoon nodded quietly beside Daniel. “I have no choice, Euigeon. You should know how powerful the Syndicate is. But for the time being, I am on probation and the only reason I am able to come and meet you is because Seongwoo helped me.”

A sudden gust of cold air blew into the clearing, rustling the leaves of the trees in that raspy whisper of theirs. Rooney’s claws continued to clack on the wooden porch as he paced up and down, waiting for his masters to pay him some attention.

“When will I get to see you again, jihoon?” asked Daniel after some time.

Jihoon paused for a moment before answering, “I hope soon.”

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, how was that for Appoloyn's first offical murder? And that scene between Jihoon and Daniel... *blush* .  
> & wow it's already on 32 chapter...and i'm only on halfway there..


	33. Chapter 33

 

* * *

 

A month flew by with no news of any new victims dying at the hands of the assassin named Appolyon. Some speculated that after the legendary assassin’s failure at the mansion, the assassin’s master had promptly removed the assassin from the game. Others said that the assassin was now only in hiding, waiting for the right moment in which he can resume his ugly business once more. But Daniel knew better than these rumors his colleagues had been able to glean from the streets, and every time he heard them he could not help but feel a pang of guilt for the information that he was hiding.

The day after his midnight rendezvous with Jihoon, Jinyoung had cornered him as soon as he had set one foot into the building, demanding to know the secret he had promised to tell him. Vaguely, he managed to brush him off, saying that it was another one of his fanciful delusions that he had finally managed to uncover Apollyon’s real identity, only to be proven wrong in the end when he found no further confirmation of this hunch. And although he had made a show of displaying how disappointed he was with this outcome before Jinyoung, he had not bought one bit of it. Yet, he decided to remain silent. Since then, Jinyoung’s observant eyes had been constantly watching him, finding that he was now speaking even less than before with him and his other comrades. He also noticed that whenever they were discussing the Apollyon case he would grow agitated, seeming distracted and never really paying attention to what they were saying. This all puzzled Jinyoung to no end, and to this day he had yet to figure it out.

Each day had passed by slowly for Daniel as he waited for a sign that Jihoon would be able to come and meet him. He even took to hovering outside of the Financial Corporation’s building, managing only fleeting glimpses of the man as he either entered or exited the car that always came to pick him and Minsoo up. Jihoon had not been lying when he said that he was on probation and unable to leave Minsoo’s side, which had been confirmed with one unpleasant meeting with the man he had once searched for and never found. Seongwoo had managed to seek him out, handing him a letter Jihoon had written personally for him, but not before Daniel had managed to plant a nasty bruise on his nose. The contents of the letter was nothing substantial, only saying how much he longed to meet him once more and detailing the time he would be able to see him for the second time in that month. And that second time was the last he had seen him.

Restlessly, he spun around on his chair in his office at home, throwing a paper plane he had made from one of the scraps of paper that littered his desk. Since coming to terms with Jihoon’s identity as Apollyon, he no longer had the enthusiasm for his job as a detective for being a detective meant that he was on opposing sides with Jihoon, leaving him in a very uncomfortable position.

The spinning of his chair was suddenly stopped and he was met by the smiling faces of the Seungwoon & woojin standing in the doorway before him. “Yoo-hoo! Daniel Hyung! Lost in space again, are we?” laughed Seungwoon. Woojin stood next to him, his arm hanging around his hyung shoulder lazily.

Daniel threw them a look that said he was in no mood for jokes. This wiped the smiles from their faces. He then turned to look above him at who had stopped him spinning in his chair and found Minhyun waving with a nervous grin on his face. “I suppose you’re not in a very good mood right now,” he said quietly before slinking over to take a seat on the chair opposite.

Seungwoon & woojin came to follow suit, taking the remaining two chairs either side of Minhyun. Daniel eyed them warily as they peered back at him worryingly. He rolled his eyes before turning to stare at Rooney’s bed beside him. “What are you guys doing here?”

It was Woojin who decided to speak first. “Well, Minhyun here has been hearing Jinyoung complaining about how strangely you’ve been acting for the past month. And, as in the nature of such things, he came to us to complain about Jaehwan complaining about you.”

Daniel shot them a glare out the corner of his eye. “And why would Jaehwan go to complain to Minhyun about me?”

This time, the both of them stared at Daniel shocked and even Minhyun peered up at Daniel in surprise after having apparently averting his gaze elsewhere. It was some time before any of the three spoke. “You really have been lost in space, Daniel Hyung,” mumbled Woojin.

Daniel frowned at this statement. “Why?”

“Why? You never noticed that your dear little dongseang, who has been clinging to your side for the past eleven years, has finally decided to leave you alone?” said Woojin as he shook his head, still in disbelief at Daniel’s ignorance. “And you two are living under the same roof…”

Sitting up straight, he spun back around to peer at his friends with a confused look on his face. “Why? What  happened?”

Minhyun began smiling uncontrollably in his seat opposite Daniel and the seungwoon, noticing this, gave their Hyung brother a little nudge each. “Minhyun Hyung here has finally managed to capture Jaehwan’s heart,” smirked Woojin.

Daniel’s eyes flew wide at this news. “Then that means…?” he said as a small grin spread across his face. “Well done, Minhyun! Finally, you managed to win him over.”

Minhyun proceeded to scratch the back of his head shyly, laughing nervously. “It was only luck… he suddenly came up to me one day and said ‘Let’s go on a date’. I don’t know what suddenly changed his mind but-”

Woojin suddenly cut Minhyun off, covering his mouth with his hand. “Yes, yes we all know he has now fallen head over heels for you after so many years. But this isn’t why we’re here to see Daniel Hyung.”

Minhyun finally managed to pull Woojin’s hand from his mouth, turning to give the boy a smart slap to the head. “Your hand is disgusting, Woojin! What the hell were you touching?” Receiving only a cheeky smile in return from Woojin, Minhyun then turned to peer at Daniel, his earlier bashfulness all gone. “But Woojin is right; this isn’t why were here and the fact that you never noticed me and Jaehwan just proves what he has told me. You know what he said to me? That you’re behaving just like you did 7 years ago.”

At that last remark, Daniel’s blood ran cold. He had not realized that his behavior had changed and that others were aware of it. And he did not realize that he was acting in a similar fashion to the way he had when Jihoonie was still ‘alive’.

Letting out a loud laugh, he stood up, putting his hands into his pockets as he strolled over to the venetian blind covered window. “Why, do you think, is my behavior like it was 7 years ago, Minhyun?” He spun around on his heels, peering at the three with a small smile. “There is no reason for me to act so… impulsively, don’t you think? After all, it has been 7 years since Jihoonie died. Maybe I’m behaving strangely because I really have no idea on how to progress further with my case.”

Seungwoon & woojin exchanged a glance with one another and Minhyun’s eyes narrowed even further as he peered at Daniel with growing suspicion. “Jinyoung also approached us on how strangely you’ve been behaving recently. He told us you were asking strange questions and disappeared for nearly a whole day, only to return less enthusiastic about the case. And just now… you mentioned Jihoonie’s name, something you haven’t done since his death.” Their eyes met and Daniel could see that Minhyun knew something. “Are you going to tell us anything, Daniel?”

Silence fell in the room as Daniel continued to stare at Minhyun, woojin & seungwoon lost at what the silent stares were conveying to the other. After several minutes of this game, Daniel finally tore his gaze away, turning to sit behind his desk where he proceeded to turn on his laptop.

“If what you guys are here for is to accuse me of nonsensical things, then I think it is best you leave me alone. There’s work I need to be catching up on, if I have been so out of it as everyone seems to be suggesting.” He then busied himself with his laptop, ignoring the presence of his friend’s altogether.

It was another minute of Minhyun staring at Daniel through narrowed suspicious eyes before he got up out of his seat and left the room, Woojin peering in confusion between the two before following Minhyun. Only when Seungwoon had closed the door behind him did Daniel look up from his screen, his brow creased in worry. For some reason, the way Minhyun had stared at him seemed to unnerve him, as if his friend knew that Jihoonie was no longer dead. Rubbing his hands over his face in frustration, he let out a tired sigh as he then rested his head on the table. He had to stop thinking about Jihoon and start finding a way to save him from Minsoo. That would be the only way to help him.

Outside, Woojin and Seungwoon had to jog to catch up with Minhyun. “Yaaa, Minhyun Hyung! What was that all about just now?” shouted Seungwoon as he gripped Minhyun by the shoulder.

 

Snapped out from his brooding thoughts, Minhyun turned to peer up at the them in surprise. “Oh… you guys followed me out.” He let out a sigh as the three of them turned out of the driveway and walked off in the direction of their houses. “Daniel’s hiding something from us, just like what Jinyoung said.”

“Daniel Hyung is hiding something from us? But why?” wondered Woojin out loud.

“Perhaps for the same reasons as 7 years ago,” replied Minhyun mysteriously.

* * *

 

Seongwoo and Jihoon stood side by side behind Minsoo in his office, flinching slightly as their boss suddenly threw everything that was on his desk onto the floor. Minsoo then came to slam his hands on the desk, staring down at it with a grim expression. Besides them, several other high ranking members of the Syndicate were gathered in the office, fearful expressions on their faces as they were the ones directly involved in the matter that had caused the leader’s rage. Although Seongwoo and Jihoon’s calm demeanor had been disrupted when Minsoo threw everything off his desk, they now returned to their soldier like states, waiting to hear the Syndicate leader voice his thoughts.

After what seemed like a long time, Minsoo finally spoke. “Would either of you care to tell me how the information about our drug shipment to the Yakuza was leaked out to the police?” he asked in a quiet, dangerous voice.

Both Seongwoo and Jihoon remained silent. However, the others were not so wise.

“Minsoo, we swear on our lives that no one here ratted on the matter. We are still trying to get to the bottom of this,” said one rather short man with his oily hair slicked back.

A crooked smile cracked across Minsoo’s face. “Still trying to get to the bottom of it?” He suddenly picked up the pen that had survived his earlier attack on the desk and threw it at the man, hitting him square in the middle of his brow between his eyes. “That is not good enough! The five of you are the only ones who knew the exact time and date of the shipment. No one on the port could have alerted the authorities as they only realized what they were loading mere minutes before. So that leaves the five of you.”

All five men averted their eyes elsewhere, swallowing nervously as they awaited the verdict. However, Jihoon noticed one of the men acting stranger that the others in that he was fidgeting an unusual amount, even though he was trying to hide it. He chose to ignore the motion but Minsoo had also noticed it. Slowly, he raised his hand to point at the man.

“Sung, Apollyon,” he said simply, his face dangerously devoid of all emotion. Jihoon did as he was told and quickly stepped around the desk to headlock Sung who was about to run for the door, bringing a dagger to his neck.

Sung no longer dared to struggle against Jihoon, feeling the cold blade pressed dangerously close to his throat. Glancing over in desperation at Minsoo, he suddenly held up his hands before him. “Please, Master ! Have mercy on me! I did not tell the police about the drugs! Please believe me!” begged the man.

Minsoo slowly walked around the desk, peering at the ground as he came to stand before Sung. Then, slowly, he looked up into the quivering man’s face, his eyes narrowed dangerously. “Then who did you tell?”

Jihoon felt the man swallow nervously under him. “No… no one in particular... I… I was drunk and… he started asking things and somehow-” He suddenly let out a gasp of pain as Jihoon drew his blade across his cheek in warning. Minsoo continued to stare at Sung as if nothing had happened.

“Who did you tell?” repeated Minsoo.

This time, Sung replied quickly, “A guy named Samuel.”

Minsoo seemed to be puzzled with this piece of information, wondering who this ‘Samuel’ could be and what benefit he would get from telling the police about the shipment. Then he suddenly remembered. “Was the man taller than Seongwoo, a scar on his right hand that looked like it had been burned horribly?”

“I’m… I’m not sure, but I think so…” he replied slowly, fearing that his time was running out.

Minsoo took a step backwards, a thoughtful look on his face. Then, with a glance straight into Jihoon’s eyes, he turned around and walked back to take a seat behind his desk. Jihoon recognized the meaning behind Minsoo’s look and, without so much as blinking he drew the dagger across the man’s throat, following his boss back to his original position behind his desk. When he finally stood to attention again, he turned to look at Sung’s dead body lying on the floor, his grip on the dagger tightening slightly as he fought the urge to close his eyes. The other four men in the room stared down at their dead colleague with a mixture of fear and resentment for the way they were being treated by Minsoo. Seongwoo, however, remained unaffected by the scene and continued to stare ahead.

Looking up at the four remaining, he then pointed at Sung’s dead body. “You four clean that mess up. I hate getting blood on my floor. And by tomorrow morning, I want to have a full report on the damage that has been dealt and on just how much the police actually know.” While the men promptly did as they were told, Minsoo leant back in his chair, a contemplative look on his face. “It looks like we can no longer ignore the Dragon. That little upstart is becoming more of a nuisance as the days go by. Seongwoo,” he ordered and the man took a step forward. “Have you finished your investigation on Samuel?”

Seongwoo bowed his head before answering. “Yes, Master . My subordinates have been tailing the man for over a month now. The daily reports I have compiled are stored away in my office. Would you like me to retrieve them, Master ?”

Minsoo shook his head, watching as the other four men managed to carry Sung’s body out of the room. “No, I still remember the details. However, there was one particular note that I found interesting and I’m sure you did too. Jihoon,” commanded Minsoo and Jihoon came to stand before him. “I think it is about time that Apollyon has come out of hiding.”

A small, malicious grin spread across Minsoo’s face as he stared off into the distance, a slight angry look in his eyes. Jihoon had a bad feeling for whatever it was that he was planning, and that his involvement in his plans was far from anything good.

* * *

 

Daniel covered his mouth as a huge yawn overcame him, stepping into the police headquarters with a cup of coffee in hand. He hadn’t slept well last night after he heard news of the big drug bust that happened at the Jeonju Port, the drugs apparently being shipped via a lot of cargo that belonged to one of Minsoo’s smaller companies. Again, the rumors of Minsoo being involved with the Syndicate surfaced and Daniel once again had that guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach. It had taken him hours of indecision before he finally decided to come to work. As he was about to sit behind his desk, he suddenly heard the loud opening music of the morning’s news erupt from the TV in the headquarters’ lounge room. Turning around in his seat, he saw Jinyoung and several others hunched around the TV as the news caster read out the major story of the day.

“At approximately 1:05 AM this morning, police have seized large amounts of what is believed to be grade A heroin in jeonju Port. The drugs were found hidden inside a shipment of plush toys, believed to belong to a company within the Lee Corporations group. Minsoo was not available for interview today, denying that he had anything to do with the matter and will hold a press conference later today at his main office in Seoul. According to authorities, it is believed that the alleged drug smuggling was the work of the infamous Syndicate, the largest of the five gangs of Korea.  Minsoo has been associated with the group numerous times however there has never been any substantial evidence that this is the case. This latest turn of events brings to light these past allegations and-”

Suddenly, the TV which had been showing accompanying images of the drugs hidden in the toys along with a horde of reporters chasing after Minsoo with Jihoon fending them away was turned off by lieutenant. Several of the police officers, upon seeing the disapproving look on his face, immediately slinked away back to their desks where they promptly busied themselves. As for Jinyoung and two other officers who remained by his side, they peered up at him in displeasure.

“We were watching that, Superintendent,” pouted Jinyoung as he leant forward to turn the TV back on. Jiseok blocked his path and he fell back against his chair moodily.

“Instead of watching TV, why don’t you guys go work on your cases? That murder case down , Jinyoung – have you found anything yet? And you two, Jason and hyunbin – have you two arrested the ones who robbed the family’s home?” He was met by silence when they all avoided his accusing stares. “No? Then I suggest getting your lazy assess off those chairs and go get busy.” He then spun on the spot and returned to his room, the door slamming quietly behind him.

Jinyoung watched him walk off, shaking his head. “I bet he’s upset that his friend Minsoo is under the spotlight as the Syndicate’s leader. He just told me and Daniel that Minsoo definitely has nothing to do with that group.”

“Really? What made him say something like that to you?” asked Jason absently as he went to turn on the TV again. The story on the drug bust was now over and they were going on about some new celebrity scandal.

Jinyoung stood up off his chair, moving over to the small kitchen which Jinyoung in a nearby room. “Oh, nothing much. Daniel was just curious about Minsoo and asked him some questions.” He paused in the middle of pulling his bottle of coke out of the fridge when a thought suddenly occurred to him. “Now that you mention it, Daniel was asking whether Minsoo was ever involved with the Syndicate.” Slamming the door, he stepped out of the kitchen and headed over towards the desks where Daniel was busying himself with his cup of coffee, reading over some case files.

Daniel pretended to ignore him, even though he was aware of his presence and this broke his concentration on what he was reading. He crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot loudly on the linoleum floor. “I know you heard what I was talking about over there, Yaa Daniel. You know something about Minsoo, don’t you?” He slammed his palms on his desk, leaning down so that he was eye-level with Daniel. “You have proof that he’s the leader of the Syndicate but something’s happened so you won’t say a word.”

Taking another calm sip of his coffee, he then placed it down on the table before meeting Jinyoung’s eyes. “Trust me; if I had proof that Minsoo is the leader of the Syndicate gang, I wouldn’t be sitting here looking over minor murder cases. Now you go busy yourself with that case the murder case.” He then picked up his documents, swiveling around in his chair so that he wasn’t looking at Jinyoung anymore.

Frowning, Jinyoung suddenly kicked Daniel’s desk and began to storm away when Daniel suddenly said, “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk about me with my friends behind my back.”

Jinyoung froze on the spot, snapping around to stare at Daniel’s back in surprise. He was about to retort back but decided against it. He was right; he shouldn’t go talking about him behind his back, even if he was worried for him. With a sigh, he continued back to his desk, falling into his chair. Nothing was simple anymore these days.

* * *

 

**_tbc_ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daniel's turning into a bit of a bastard, I know But I guess anyone would be as upset as he is in his position, right? Right? Anyway, the war has finally begun! Appolyon is coming back from thhe dark.


	34. Chapter 34

* * *

 

Jihoon sat quietly in a dark tinted car Minsoo had given him for the day, parked across the street from an ice-cream parlor. He stared out his window, observing the scene inside as best he could from this distance. The driver Minsoo had also given his suddenly yawned loudly, causing Jihoon to snap his head angrily in his direction. Realizing his mistake, he nervously adjusted himself in his seat as he avoided eye-contact with Jihoon. Lucky for him, he did not know Jihoon’s identity as Apollyon so he wasn’t as frightened as he would have been if he had known.  
  
The minutes crawled by as Jihoon watched patiently, his heart in a dilemma. After observing his target for the past few days, he found this new assignment of his was tough for his target was constantly surrounded by guards. Jihoon was glad that his new assignment was a tough one, for that meant he could delay killing someone else for a little longer. But then again, he was slightly afraid because delayed the killing would mean that Minsoo would not be happy and that meant more unpleasant things are sure to arise.  
  
He suddenly sat up straighter when his target finally emerged from within the ice-cream parlour. Five bodyguards followed him out as a guy came to wave off at the door. he got into his car with two of the guards, the remaining bodyguards entering a car behind. The guy, who Jihoon assumed was his target’s Samuel, continued to wave his off, long after they had disappeared around the corner. Jihoon watched the guy return to the parlour before leaning forward to tap his driver on the shoulder. A little startled by the touch, the driver then promptly started the engine and together they followed the car that carried his latest target,Kim Samuel.

 

* * *

  
“What is up with Seoul these days?” shouted Jinyoung in frustration as he and several other police officers crowded around the morning’s newspaper, discussing the latest drug bust of the yakuza gang and the arrest of several members in the East gang who were suspected of laundering money. “The gangs have all gone crazy! They’re ratting each other out, one by one!”  
  
“Not to mention the increase in violent street gang fights,” mentioned another officer.  
  
Jinyoung clapped his hands before pointing them at the other officer. “That’s right! It’s as if we’re in the middle of a bloody war zone!”  
  
“Who would’ve thought the Five would begin fighting against themselves so suddenly? They’ve always gotten along somewhat peacefully, even though it’s well known that the Group and the Syndicate don’t exactly like each other. The only peaceful place that’s left is Gangnam do, and that’s just because they are neutral,” said woojin, who sat on the desk.

Superintenant, who was seated on the chair beside woojin, nodded his head thoughtfully. “I wonder what started this whole mess. Haven’t some of our spies been saying that the  group was provoking the Syndicate? They got a new leader some time ago too, who goes by the name ‘Dragon’.”  
  
“Yeah, I heard he wants to make the group the biggest gang in Seoul, second to none. And that means getting rid of the Syndicate. He’s a pretty brave fellow, if you ask me,” said another officer.  
  
Jinyoung made a face at the man. “Hey, you shouldn’t be praising these bastards. It’s because of them that the whole city’s in such a mess!”  
  
Suddenly, they were all startled when something slammed onto the desk. A bunch of newspapers Jinyoung sprawled across the table and they all turned to look up into Daniel’s frowning face. “Don’t you guys have anything better to do than gossip about the news? It’s getting annoying.”  
  
Jinyoung stood up from his spot, frowning as well. “Do you always have to be so moody? Every time you hear about the Syndicate, you suddenly grow incredibly angry. What is your problem?”  
  
Daniel met Jinyoung’s stare angrily before he turned away, guilt gnawing at him unforgivingly. “Nothing’s my problem.” He walked away briskly, sitting down roughly in his chair behind his desk as the others watched him. They continued to stare at him for a while, exchanging confused glances with one another before continuing their conversation in a quieter tone.  
  
Truth was, Daniel was getting sick with worry over what this news of the friction between the gangs meant for Jihoon. He knew that now things were getting intense it was only a matter of time before Minsoo put Jihoon back into use as Apollyon. And that was the last thing he wanted to happen to him.

* * *

 

  
Minhyun and Jaehwan stood outside the door to Daniel’s office in the house, peering up and down the hallway to see whether Daniel had come back home yet. Receiving no sign of the man, Minhyun proceeded to turn the knob of the door, only to be halted by Jaehwan.  
  
“I don’t think this is a really good idea, Minhyun. It doesn’t feel right, breaking into his room.” he suddenly pulled Minhyun’s hand away from the door knob and proceeded to try and drag him away. “Maybe we should find some other way to find out the identity of that man.”  
  
Minhyun pulled Jaehwan to a stop, dragging him back to the office door. “Relax, Jaehwan – it was your idea in the first place, remember? If we want to help Daniel, then we’ll have to break in to his laptop. You said you’ve seen him staring strangely at his picture in his laptop before.”  
  
Jaehwan cringed slightly as he remembered his words. “But what if he suddenly decides to come back an-”  
  
“He won’t suddenly come back, Jaehwan. I called Jinyoung a few minutes ago, remember? He’s still at the station and it looks like he won’t be going anywhere soon,” assured Minhyun as he reached the office door.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he turned the knob and the door clicked open. Pushing it in, they were greeted by Rooney’s ear-piercing meow followed by his loud scratching noise inside the cage. Minhyun hurriedly dragged Jaehwan in behind him and closed the door, afraid that Jaehwan’s parents might hear the cat. Jaehwan went over to the side of the cage, immediately trying to hush the cat.  
  
“Shhhh! Shhh, you stupid cat!” he suddenly found a maroon blanket which Daniel used to cover the cage at night, throwing it over the cat. Immediately, Rooney stopped purring, rurring softly every now and then in indignation. “I’ve never liked that cat,” said Jaehwan with a huff.  
  
Minhyun only smiled as he went to sit in the chair behind Daniel’s desk, booting up the laptop that always remained in that room. “No one ever likes that cat, except for Daniel and Jihoonie. I wonder why sometimes.”  
  
While they waited for the laptop to load, Jaehwan came to hover behind Minhyun, kneeling on the ground as he began to search the desk drawers. Wondering what he was doing, Minhyun peered at him. “What are you looking in there for?”  
  
“For anything else that may help us find out about that man, in case we can’t get anything useful from his laptop,” replied Jaehwan absently as he carefully sorted through a pile of paper.  
  
Minhyun shook his head in amazement. “And you were afraid of entering just a minute ago…” Suddenly, the login page to Daniel’s laptop showered, requesting a password. “Great… we should have expected Daniel would password protect his laptop. Now what?”  
  
Jaehwan looked up from what he was doing, giving a small frown. “Well, use that brain of yours to crack it! You’re studying medicine, right? You should be smart enough to decipher your best friend’s password.”  
  
Minhyun rolled his eyes at Jaehwan’s response, before turning back to the computer. “That sure was useful, Jaehwan. I’m starting to doubt how wise I was in deciding to fall in love with you – ouch!” he shouted as Jaehwan pinched him in the side. he stuck out his tongue at him and he responded in kind. Turning back to the screen, he began to think what kind of password Daniel would use.  
  
“Well, I guess the most obvious one would be ‘Jihoonie’.” He typed that in, receiving a message that said he had three more tries to get it right. “An obvious dud.” Next, he tried ‘Jeju Do’ and ‘Rooney’ but they also returned the same message. Now on his last try, he hesitated before typing anything in, thinking carefully over what it could be.  
  
Jaehwan suddenly nudged him in the side, startling him from his thoughts. Minhyun peered over at him to see him staring at a piece of paper which had obviously once been scrunched up into a ball. “What is it?”  
  
“It looks like… some note he wrote a while ago. It was written in pencil, so it’s kinda faded but I can still make most of it out: ‘I miss jihoonie so much. I miss our times up in the mountain, sitting next to him in that hut he found. Why can’t I ever forget him? Why? And that Seongwoo…’” Jaehwan stopped reading and frowned. “I can’t make out what he writes after that.” he turned to peer up at Minhyun. “Any ideas where that hut might have been? It could be the password.”  
  
Minhyun pondered the thought, wracking his mind for where it could have been. He recalled that the Mountains Jinyoung not far from the orphanage, but that seemed a little too general. Then a thought suddenly occurred to him. “Maybe…” He typed a three letter word, hoping that his hunch was right. And he was rewarded by the welcome screen of the laptop.  
  
“Yes!” exclaimed Minhyun triumphantly. Jaehwan turned to peer at him confused.  
  
“What was it?”  
  
Minhyun turned to look at him, grinning. “It was such a simple word – **_HUT_**. No one could have guessed that, whether or not they knew him. And it was all thanks to you that I could!” He suddenly leaned towards Jaehwan, cupping his face as he planted a kiss on his lips before turning back to stare at the laptop screen.  
  
A blush crept across Jaehwan’s face as he busied himself with putting everything away neatly, a small smile trying to creep onto his face. he had to admit, Minhyun could be unwittingly sweet at times and he has been happier since he finally accepted his affections for him. he had no idea what was running through his mind that day when he asked Minhyun out, but he did and he didn’t regret it. Jaehwan was tired of chasing after Daniel, seeing how devoted he still was to Jihoonie, but he still worried for him. He was his Hyung after all, if only in name.  
  
Minhyun scanned through the list of icons on the desktop, not surprised when he saw that Jihoon’s profile was there. There were quite a few other profiles on the desktop but only one of them besides Jihoon’s didn’t seem like it belonged there. He clicked on it, inhaling sharply when he recognized the man in the picture.  
  
Jaehwan quickly propped himself up behind Minhyun, leaning on his shoulder to peer at the screen. “Isn’t that the man we saw at the resort?”  
  
Slowly, Minhyun nodded before retrieving a notepad and a pen from his pocket. “Yeah, the exact same man… Now I’m definitely sure I saw a ghost but I still can’t believe it.”  
  
“What do you mean a ‘ghost’?” asked Jaehwan, puzzled as he watched him scribble down the details of the man named Jihoon Park, Park Ji hoon.  
  
When Minhyun had finished writing, he went to open up Jihoonie’s old profile and Jaehwan couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp of astonishment. “Now do you know what I mean by a ‘ghost’? Park Jihoon looks exactly like Jihoonie. Maybe… they’re the same person and Daniel has just confirmed it.”  
  
Jaehwan looked up at Minhyun in horror, still finding the resemblance between Jihoonie and Jihoon a little too uncanny. “But how? he was dead in the hospital, remember? We all saw him.”  
  
Minhyun proceeded to shut down the laptop, shrugging. “Beats me. But there’s only one way to find out.”

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Jihoon has some spare time on his hands...
> 
> Oh, and I forgot to say, yes, I know Daniel's password is lame.. & the name i'm sorry i can't think of any other name for Jihoon except Jihoonie.. 
> 
> wow i can't believe i've actually write up to 80k words & i'm only halfway there..


	35. Chapter 35

* * *

  
Jihoon’s car slowly pulled up a small distance away from  Samuel mansion, carefully observing the car Jonghyun was in driving through the gate. He remained staring at the gates as they slowly closed for several minutes, contemplating the information he had gathered today. After watching Jonghyun visit his dongseang at the ice-cream parlour, Jihoon had followed the man to a set of flats in a rundown part of Seoul. From the set of notes Seongwoo had given him earlier, Jihoon realized that Jonghyun was visiting his mother. There he remained for half an hour, before descending the stairs and entering his car to return to the  mansion.

It had not been easy for Jihoon to persuade Minsoo to allow him a day off from his work as his secretary in order to follow Jonghyun around. He reluctantly agreed in the end, on the condition that he remained in the car throughout the entire trip or else within sight of the driver. Of course, Jihoon had agreed to the terms, although slightly annoyed at them. he had other reasons for requesting permission to follow Jonghyun.

Glancing at the driver through the rear view mirror, his eyes connected with the man. Jihoon saw a faint tremor pass through him and couldn’t hide the sarcastic smile that spread across his face. Even those who didn’t know he was an assassin felt fear at his gaze.

“Drive off but don’t head back to the Minsoo mansion yet,” he ordered.

The driver swallowed nervously before replying, “But my orders were-”

Jihoon’s eyes narrowed and he immediately quietened. “I don’t care what you were ordered – continue driving around.”

With a curt nod, the driver drove off and Jihoon turned to stare out his window. His mind was in two halves: one wanted to find a way to go and see Daniel, while the other was afraid of going to see him, worried that it would alert Minsoo to their relationship. But he hadn’t seen him for several weeks now and he was beginning to find this separation unbearable. A small amused smile cracked across his face as this thought entered his mind. For 7 long years he had managed to hide himself from Daniel, to trick himself that he was strong enough to try and forget him. But as soon as he had returned to his life, still as madly in love with him as he had been back then… he couldn’t deny how he felt about him. Although he had hidden himself from him, it did not mean he was hidden from him.

* * *

 

= Flashback =

“What are we doing here?” asked Seongwoo in a confused tone, parking the car some distance from the police academy. Being so near such a place set the man on edge and he didn’t like it one bit.

Jihoon ignored his question, continuing to gaze out the window at the school’s gate, his eyes darting from face to face, searching. Seongwoo tried to follow his gaze but could not make out what he was looking for.

“Jihoon, we have to get going. Minsoo will be wondering where we’ve gone after your university entrance exams,” said Seongwoo in an annoyed tone. He was beginning to get an idea of why he had told him to park here and no sooner than was the thought in his mind was it confirmed.

A faint smile touched Jihoon’s lips as he spotted Daniel amidst a crowd of other police students, laughing animatedly at a joke one of them had made. A Boy looking his own age hovered to his right, moving to hit the one who had told the joke, of which he had obviously been the subject. Jihoon’s eyes never left Daniel’s face however, taking in the sight of his smiling eyes.

‘At least… he is now living his dream… happily…’ he thought to himself quietly.

As soon as Daniel and his group of friends disappeared into the crowd waiting at the bus stop, Seongwoo started the car engine. With a quick glance over at Daniel and then at Jihoon, he let out a sigh before pulling the car out. “Come on, we’d better get going.”

= End Flashback =

* * *

 

Jihoon recognized the landmarks which indicated he was near Daniel’s office and he straightened slightly in his seat. he had to make his mind up now: stop or continue driving? Closing his eyes, he tried to calm his racing heart, but when he opened them again, his heart pounded even faster when he saw Daniel step out of the station as they drove past.

“Stop! I have something I need to do!” he shouted at the driver.

Caught unaware, the driver immediately did as he was told, halting in the middle of the road. The car behind them skidded to a halt behind, their horn blaring loudly in panic. Jihoon glared at his driver through the mirror and he immediately bowed his head in apology before moving over to the edge of the road. All this time Daniel had been watching the scene with interest, wondering if he would have to intervene as he saw the driver of the car behind emerge angrily.

Jihoon’s driver hurriedly stepped out of the car, heading over to clear the matter with the other man. The man was furious at having nearly hit Jihoon’s car and didn’t seem like he would be letting the matter go easily anytime soon. Jihoon, seeing Daniel deciding to go over and have a look, stepped out of the car and went over to the quarreling man. he hid the smile that wanted to spread across his face as he saw his surprised look.

Approaching the angry man, Jihoon bowed at him in apology. “Forgive me, Sir, for my driver’s incompetence. It was partly my fault as well for making him stop so suddenly.”

The man still looked a little upset but there was nothing he could really do seeing as nothing was damaged and Jihoon had apologized to him. With one last annoyed look, he said, “Fine, I’ll let the matter rest here but you’d better not let your driver drive like that again, Mr.” He then stormed off back to his car, promptly driving off. Jihoon then turned back to his driver, heaving a tired sigh when he saw the pale look on his face.

“Sorry for getting you yelled at,” he said, earning a surprised look from his driver. “You won’t get fired if you promise to keep something secret.”

The surprised look on his driver’s face soon turned into an eager grin. “Whatever, Mr. I just got this job not too long ago and I don’t want to lose it.”

Jihoon continued to gaze into his eyes, studying him. When he did not turn away, he smiled. “Do not tell anyone about this little stop. There is something I want to do and it must remain secret. If not…” he continued to stare into his eyes, his own narrowing dangerously. “If not, your job will not be the only thing you lose.”

His driver swallowed nervously at the obvious threat he had delivered. As he turned to walk off, he began to follow him. Jihoon came to a stop when he realized this. “I also have to do this alone,” he said, his patience now beginning to thin.

The man seemed as if he was about to protest but then thought better of it as his eyes met him. Bowing, he retreated to the car where he settled to nervously waiting for him to return. Jihoon, satisfied that he wasn’t going to follow him anymore, continued to walk off, glancing at Daniel as he strolled past him, his hand slightly brushing his as he passed. Daniel, who had been watching and heard everything he said, followed him at a distance with those same mixed feelings he’d been having since he found out about his true identity. He was once again reminded of who he was now and it somewhat hurt to see him having to act like this.

Jihoon led Daniel down the street, searching for an appropriate place in which they could gain a private moment together away from prying eyes. He spotted an empty alleyway a few blocks from where his car was parked and headed down it. Leaning against the wall, he waited as Daniel finally followed him in.

He stood up properly and they stared at one another, the tension between them electrifying the air. A small smile then spread its way across Jihoon’s face. “I finally get to see you again,” he said quietly.

Daniel took several steps towards him, quickly closing the gap between them with his long strides. He came to hold his shoulders, gently stroking his face. As he closed his eyes at his touch, he couldn’t stand it anymore and brought him in for a tight hug.

“I miss you so much, Jihoonie…” he whispered, his arms tightening around him slightly.

Jihoon smiled even more at his whisper. “And I miss you so much too, Euigeon.”

He slowly pulled away from him after a few minutes, taking in his  face and the galaxy eyes which gazed up into his with a warm look in his eyes. A sad smile spread across his face as he proceeded to caress his face once more. “How come you’re able to see me today?”

At his question, the smile on Jihoon’s face disappeared and he broke away from his grip on him. he turned away, crossing his arms over his front as guilt gnawed at his conscience. Daniel understood his silence and came to embrace him from behind.

“It’s because of Apollyon, isn’t it?” he said, a sinking feeling in his heart. “It’s because of these conflicts between the gangs that you have to kill again, isn’t it?”

Jihoon closed his eyes painfully, his words sending a thousand needles into his heart. After some time, he answered, “Apollyon is who I have become and will always have to be, until the day I or the Syndicate dies.”

Daniel’s arms around his tightened as he heard him speak of death, the thought of losing him for a second time becoming unbearable. “I will never let you die, Jihoon. I cannot bear to lose you for the second time, for if I do… I will die with-”

Jihoon spun around in Daniel’s arms, placing a finger to his lips to silence him. “Please don’t say things like that, Euigeon… I… can’t bear the thought of losing you either…”

He lifted his hand up to his elbow, slowly sliding its way up his forearm towards the hand he had placed over his lips. he felt him kiss the tips of his fingers as he pulled them away from his face, small shivers running through his body. “Then promise me you’ll never speak of dying again,” he said in a soft voice, staring deep into his eyes.

Jihoon swallowed nervously, feeling his heart pound incredibly fast. “I promise…” As soon as those words left his mouth, Daniel leaned forwards and covered his lips with his, kissing him passionately. He responded back in kind with all the desire and need he felt for him, and that he felt for him, his hands slowly running over his broad chest before snaking their way through his hair. Daniel backed him against the wall, kissing him tenderly as his hands made their way inside his shirt, feeling his flat stomach before trying to make their way lower. But there was still some small spark of reason still left within his passion drunk mind to bring him back to reality, to the fact that they were in an alleyway and now was not the time to take things further. He began to slow his kisses down, trying his best to dowse the flame he had ignited in him.

They finally broke their kiss off and he leaned his head forward, his forehead resting on Jihoon’s as they both tried to calm their ragged breaths. Daniel was the first to open his eyes and a smile touched his lips when he saw Jihoon still trying to recover from their heated embrace under him. He kissed his lips lightly, realizing that his hands were still inside his shirt, softly rubbing him.

“You have no idea how much I want you right now, Jihoonie…” he whispered huskily, planting another light kiss on his lips. “But we can’t do this here…”

Jihoon finally opened his eyes, inhaling deeply as he enjoyed the feel of his hands on his bare skin. “I know… and I should leave soon…” he leaned forward to kiss his lips lightly, his hands yearning to reach under his shirt too.

“Then one more kiss…” said Daniel before he kissed him fully, savoring the taste of his lips on his. Jihoon did the same, wondering when the next chance he could see him would be.

After some time, Daniel finally pulled away from Jihoon and he readjusted his appearance so that he was back to normal. A mischievous grin spread across Daniel’s face as he watched him. Jihoon noticed the look and frowned slightly with a smile.

“What?” he snapped at him.

Daniel shook his head naughtily. “Nothing. Just thinking that you looked so cute with your clothes and hair messy.”

Jihoon narrowed his eyes at him but was still unable to stop himself from smiling. He took a step towards him and he reflexively took a step out of the way, as if anticipating him hitting him. He frowned at him, rolling his eyes as he stepped towards him once more, catching hold of him. “Stop running away; your hair is all messy.”

Daniel seemed surprised that Jihoon was now helping him to neaten his hair and he was touched. He smiled at him lovingly and when he had finished, he pulled him in for another hug. “I wonder when we’ll be able to see each other every day, having you help make my hair for me as we wake up from the same bed,” he smiled dreamily to himself.

Jihoon smiled at his daydream but he felt a twinge of pain as he realized how impossible that dream will be. He was even already planning another murder and that would only send them further apart. Sighing, he then said, “I have to go now. I’ve been away from Minsoo too long.”

Reluctantly, Daniel released Jihoon, but not before planting another kiss on his forehead. “Remember Jihoonie, I will help you be free of the Syndicate one day,” he said, his eyes full of determination.

All Jihoon could do was smile sadly in return. “Then I will wait for that day, Euigeon.”

‘But I fear it will never come'

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a short Rendezvous between Jihoon & Daniel, i realized i'm making this fic a tad too sad & angst sorry guys *teehee* till the next update :)


	36. Chapter 36

 

* * *

Three days passed as Ji hoon made the necessary preparations for his next kill. It was decided upon that the assassination would have to occur during the day, for invading the mansion at night was just plain suicide. Ji hoon would go to stay in a room next door to Samuel’s mother, waiting for the time of day in which Samuel would arrive for his daily visit. The bodyguards that followed him on this routinely trip never proceeded up the stairs, except for one who would be posted outside the room. This was of no complication however as the flat’s balconies were quite close together, close enough to climb from one to the other. As for escape, Ji hoon would rappel down from the third floor on which the room was situated, quickly making his way to the waiting car.

Seongwoo would not be accompanying him once again, too busy with another of Minsoo retaliation attacks on the Group. In fact, most of the Syndicate was busy with this gang war in one way or another, all except for Guanlin who was conveniently kept out of the way by his father restricting him to working in the office. This of course was not met well with the young man but he had no choice but to concede, much to his frustration.

Ji hoon’s upcoming task did not sit well with him in these three days and as he waited in the room next door to Samuel’s mother, he was in half a mind to abandon what he had to do and run away, chasing the dream Daniel had described to him the other day. Thinking back on his meeting with Daniel, him return back to the mansion after their rendezvous had gone by without much suspicion save for Minsoo wondering why he was slightly late. As it was only a few minutes, Ji hoon managed to easily answer that it was because of heavy traffic and thankfully, the driver was flawless in his acting.

Glancing around at his weapons which lay in wait on the floor to be strapped to his body, Ji hoon closed his eyes as he leant his head back against the wall, taking in a deep breath. He had never been so nervous to kill someone in so many years, not since he had made his first few kills all those years ago that had turned him down this path. Being alone in this room left with his own thoughts to entertain himself as he waited did nothing to help allay his fears. The lone clock on the wall before him ticked loudly as the seconds crawled by, counting down to the moment he would have to kill. Opening his eyes, he glanced at the clock. Another hour to go before his target would arrive.

His fist clenched tightly,  as he steeled himself mentally for what he will have to do. He had to go through with this, even though he was soiling his hands even further. He had to do it, if he wanted to survive another day to see Daniel again.

Jonghyun couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling he had in the pit of his stomach, as if his intuition was trying to warn him about something bad happening. Shaking his head as if that would chase the feeling away, he continued to finish off preparing the order for the customer. Once done, He hurriedly went to deliver the order to the waiting table before coming back to sit at the table his dongseang was waiting at with a smile on his face.

“You know, you don’t always have to quickly finish up your tasks just to come sit with me, Hyung,” laughed Samuel as he ate another spoonful of the triple choc sundae he had ordered from earlier.

Jonghyun sheepishly smiled as he looked away, embarrassed. “You caught me there, .”

Samuel laughed at his  embarrassment as he shook his head. Jonghyun turned to peer at him laughing face with a smile. Since he had told him about becoming Dongho boyfriend, he had seen him happier than he had ever been. A sense of relief flushed through him as he realized that Dongho must be treating him right if he was this happy. But why was there that nagging feeling that something bad will happen?

“You know, Hyung,” said Samuel in between another mouthful of his sundae. “You really should come and visit Omma with me sometime. I hate to admit it but she seems to be doing better now that she has unlimited funds for her gambling problem thanks to me. Dongho doesn’t seem to mind it all and funnily enough, he even said it would be another way to lure in more customers by having someone always playing there.”

Jonghyun frowned slightly at Samuel’s suggestion, “I don’t know…” he started.

Samuel picked up his sundae bowl, scooping up the last of the chocolate ice-cream that was left. “You don’t know what, Jonghyun? Come on, she’s really not such a bad person these days. Why don’t you come with me now?”

“Now?” repeated Jonghyun in surprise. “But I’ve still got work!”

He put his sundae bowl down with a clunk, a big grin on his face. “You can take the rest of the day off, silly. It won’t hurt to skip a few hours once in a while.”

Jonghyun peered down into his lap, thinking it over. He still wasn’t too keen on going to see their mother and the thought of abandoning his job to go with Samuel filled him with a little bit of guilt. He rarely took days off, being the responsible person he was, and not once had he skipped work. Coming to a decision, he said, “Not today, . I don’t want to skip on work and besides, tomorrow is my day off. Maybe I’ll go with you then if I feel like it.”

The look on Samuel’s face fell in disappointment as his shoulders slumped slightly, muttering a soft, ‘Oh’. Then he smiled again, looking up into his face. “Alright then – tomorrow you’ll go to see Omma with me. And no other excuses this time around, okay Hyung?” he said as he stood up, reaching out to ruffle his hair playfully. Jonghyun swatted his dongseang hand away with an embarrassed frown on his face. Samuel just laughed. “Well, I’d better get going. I always have to go check on her at this time of day when I know she’ll be at home for sure.”

“She’s always home at this time because she knows you’ll bring her a nice, big, fat cheque to spend at the casino of that ‘boyfriend’ of yours,” snapped Jonghyun sarcastically.

Samuel swatted at Jonghyun and he dodged the move with a grin. “You don’t have to say it like that, Jonghyun,” exclaimed Samuel as a blush crept across his cheeks. Jonghyun spotted the blush and this provoked him to tease him further.

“Well, that’s what he is, isn’t he? Have you told him, ‘I love you hunny, my sweet little bunny!’ like you used to say to your dolls when you were little?” he teased, grinning widely from ear to ear. Samuel grabbed his bag and tried to hit him with it but he just ran away, laughing evilly as he sped towards the door.

“Shut up, Hyung!” snapped Samuel as he chased out after him. Jonghyun ran to hide behind one of his bodyguards, who ended up being the target of Samuel’s flying bag. “Oops! Sorry, Ming!”

Ming just smiled as he bent to pick up his master bag. “That’s okay, Mr,” he replied as he handed the bag back to him. Jonghyun stuck his tongue out teasingly at his Brother from behind the big man.

Samuel glared at him as he pointed at him in warning. “Next time I won’t be so easy on you, Hyung. I’ll start spilling your secrets in a public place next time.”

Jonghyun pretended to look scared, clapping his hands to the side of his face. “Oh please don’t do that, Honourable Samuel! I am so frightened already!” he laughed loudly.

Samuel nodded his head, pursing his lips as he silently swore revenge against his Hyung. Then, deciding to let the matter rest for now, he walked over to the car. “I’ll come and pick you up at Dad’s place tomorrow to go visit Mother with us, same time as today. Is that alright with you?”

Jonghyun came out from his hiding place behind Ming, the mischievous look on his face now gone. “Alright, but I’m still not that willing to see that witch.”

Samuel rolled his eyes,. “I know but just do it for me, okay?” he said, a pleading look in his eyes. Jonghyun nodded unwillingly and he smiled, heading into his car.

“Until tomorrow, Jonghyun,” he said through the open window, waving at him as the car pulled out.

“Until tomorrow,” repeated Jonghyun, waving his dongseng off, the earlier uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach returning.

Samuel had barely raised his hand to knock on the door when his mother came to open it, grinning widely from ear to ear in what he thought was a warm, inviting smile. “Samuel darling! You’re a little late today but that’s alright! Come in, come in!” she greeted loudly, pulling his son into the room eagerly.

Seating him roughly onto the sofa, his mother came to sit beside him excitedly, an eager look in her eyes. “So, how have you been doing, dear? And how is Mr Dongho doing?” she asked sweetly.

Samuel rolled his eyes at his mother’s actions, moving to dig in his backbag. “We’re all fine as usual, ommaa.” Finally, Samuel found what he was looking for and pulled out a cheque folded in half. “Here, omma – some more money. And try not to spend it so fast, okay?” he said as his mother snatched the cheque from his hand and glanced at the sum, her brow creasing in disappointment when she saw how much it was.

“Is this all?” she snapped, her earlier happiness all gone. “Yesterday was more than this.”

Samuel just shrugged at his mother’s reaction. “That’s all Dongho is willing to give you today. If you’re not happy about it, then go take it up with him.” The truth was Samuel had been the one to ask Dongho to lower the sum he was going to give her, hoping that if his mother slowly eased off how much she was gambling she would be able to break the habit. Of course, Samuel didn’t put his hopes high on this tactic but he still wanted to try it out anyway.

Realizing he had let slip his good-natured motherly act, Samuel’s mother once again smiled sweetly with her lson. “That’s alright, Samuel dear; if this is all Mr Dongho is willing to give me, then I’ll take it. It’s better than nothing.”

Heaving a small sigh, Samuel shook his head as he watched his mother head off towards her bedroom to hide her brand new cheque. She was always like this, enthusiastically anticipating his arrival for the cheque he would bring with him. Getting up off the sofa, Samuel made his way over to the kitchen where he began preparing himself a cup of coffee.

“I’ll be bringing Jonghyun along with me tomorrow, omma. he isn’t too keen on coming but I hope you two can get along with one another for at least a day.” Plugging in the electric kettle and setting it to boil, Samuel then glanced towards his mother’s bedroom, wondering why there was no answer. It was strange; normally his mother would send a curt comment whenever he mentioned his brother.

Walking over to the bedroom door, he gave a light knock on the door. “OMMA! OMMa, are you alright?” he shouted, growing worried. His mother was not that young anymore and something could have happened to her.

Opening the door which wasn’t locked, a horrified gasp escaped his lips as he found his mother sprawled face down on the bed, the sheets soaked with an unbelievable amount of blood. His blood ran cold as he stood fixated to the spot, unable to understand what had happened to his mother. Samuel took several slow steps towards his mother, everything around him seeming like a horrible, horrible nightmare.

“OMMa…” he whispered terrified, falling to his knees beside his mother’s dead body. As he was about to scream his mother’s name, the situation finally penetrating his shocked mind, a hand suddenly covered his mouth from behind. The door closed with a bang seconds later and a shiver of terror ran down Samuel’s back, realizing that the one who had killed his mother had not yet left the room.

Samuel felt something cold and sharp pressed against his neck and he closed his eyes in fear, frightened tears falling from his eyes as he realized he was about to die. he didn’t want to die, he didn’t want to leave his father, he didn’t want to leave Hyung and… he didn’t want to leave Dongho. Dongho… the name echoed loudly within his mind as his heart twisted painfully. he remembered his conversation with him the other morning and at this moment, he regretted not saying those three words when he asked him. Now that he was about to die, he realized how much he loved Dongho and found how foolish he was being hesitant in loving him with his whole heart.

As his tear touched the assassin’s hand, he felt it twitch slightly on his mouth. “Please forgive me…” whispered the assassin, a sad note to his voice. “I don’t want to kill innocents either but… I have to.” With that last sentence, he drew his blade across Samuel’s throat and held onto him tightly until he stopped thrashing, His breathing no more.

* * *

_**TBC.** _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, a little recap which I didn’t mention Dongho is the rival of Minsoo gang he’s the second most powerful other than minsoo a small appearance of jonghyun ,Samuel, let’s just take it they were already together in the first place. & I hope the reasons behind why Ji hoon is choosing to continue killing is good enough.
> 
>  
> 
> Next Chapter: Samuel's body is found.


	37. Chapter 37

 

* * *

Ji Hoon had taken slightly longer in the shower than he normally took, letting the water run down his face as he closed his eyes under its warmth. The stench of the two blood still clung to nose and he repeatedly scrubbed his skin with the soap, feeling so dirty. It had been a long time since feelings of guilt had eaten up so much of his conscience, not since the early days of his training. Back then he had felt so dirty when he was forced to kill several of his classmates under the orders of Minsoo. They died unbelievably easily at his hands and Ji Hoon had been left with a hollow, empty feeling as he stared at the blood that had covered his hands. And once more in this shower he found himself staring at those very same hands that had killed so many.

His long shower over and dressed simply in a hoodie and tracksuit pants to spend the rest of his evening inside the mansion’s walls, Ji Hoon stepped out his room, making his way downstairs. he headed over towards the wing of the mansion that housed the Syndicate’s many dojos, peering through the window of a door at the new recruits who were practicing their judo moves.

“Is your conscience beginning to catch up with you, Ji Hoonie?” said a sly voice from behind. Ji Hoon could tell without looking that it was Guanlin.

“I see you are home tonight, Master Lin,” replied Ji Hoon, as polite as ever. But he wasn’t in the mood to play word games with Guan lin. he walked off, heading towards the garden that lay behind this wing of the mansion.

Guan Lin smiled wryly as he watched him stroll off, soon following behind him at a distance. He paused at the doorway as he saw Ji Hoon walk over to the edge of a koi fish pond, sitting down on the lone stone bench by the water’s edge. The sky was a dark shade of purple, the sun long gone behind the mountain ranges in the distance.

“Yeah, I’m home because there is nothing better for me to do. I don’t feel like drinking and I don’t feel up for another fighting match with my father.” He came to sit beside Ji Hoon on the bench, leaving a comfortable distance between them. “The last time I remember seeing you sit here was when you were fifteen. It was just after that death match Minsoo had put you and the other recruits through.”

He turned to study his face, wondering what kind of reaction he would have at him reviving horrible old memories for him. His face remained blank and Guan Lin couldn’t exactly say whether he was pleased or not at the outcome.

As he turned back to stare out at the fish pond, Ji Hoon then suddenly asked, “What are you trying to get at by talking about the past, Master Lin?”

A small triumphant smile spread across Guan Lin face as he realized he had struck a nerve within Ji Hoon. “It seems my father hasn’t exactly removed all the humanity from your soul, Ji Hoon.” He then paused, breathing the crisp evening air in deeply. “You’ve changed a little more over these past few weeks, Ji Hoon. You don’t seem so… dead anymore.”

A wry smile spread its way across Ji Hoon’s face as he looked up into the evening sky. “Is that so…? Then I suppose you want to know why as well?”

Guan Lin turned to look at Ji Hoon, studying the sad look in his eyes. “I think I already know why.” He suddenly reached out a hand and began to gently caress Ji Hoon’s face but he pulled away immediately, frowning at him in displeasure. Guan Lin just laughed. “And that is why.” Then he stood up, placing his hand in his pockets as he walked over to the edge of the pond a little distance away from Ji Hoon. “Do you know the true reason my father sent me away overseas?”

Ji Hoon stared at his backside, wondering why he would suddenly ask him such a question. “It was because he found you uncontrollable.”

Guan Lin laughed at him answer, nodding his head with his back still facing him. “True, true… I’ll admit to being the horrible child delinquent I was back then. But there was another reason to it all.” He spun around, staring at Ji Hoon with seriousness in his eyes that slightly unnerved him. “The reason he sent me away was because he wanted me to forget about you. I used to harbor a crush on you and he saw right through me.”

Ji Hoon found that unbelievable as he remembered the way Guan Lin had treated him all those years ago. He had always found reasons to bully him, to plant more bruises on him during their training sessions together than was necessary. But as his eyes met his, he found his conviction beginning to waver as he realized how serious he was.

“You hated me,” Ji Hoon suddenly said, still unable to believe that Guan Lin would have liked him.

Guan Lin shrugged, turning back to stare out over the koi pond. “Perhaps, but I also liked you a lot. you have that Eyes that i fell in love looking at it ,You had a strong spirit and one can’t help but admire that. But I was telling you the truth that night at my party that I used to think you were so ugly back then. You hardly ate and there was that dead look in your eyes, which I had still seen that night but… it’s now gone.”

Silence fell between them, each falling into their own thoughts. Ji Hoon was the first to break the stifling silence. “Why are you telling me this?”

Ji Hoon couldn’t see Guan Lin’s face but he could tell that he was smiling sadly. “Why am I telling you now? Because I want you to know that I once admired your spirit and I still do. I realized what my father had hoped my time overseas would do to me was all a failure the moment I saw you again. But then… I noticed the way he looked at you.”

“…He?” repeated Ji Hoon, slightly confused.

Guan Lin turned around to peer at Ji Hoon, no longer smiling. “That detective who is on your case. He seemed to recognize you that night, even though he may not realize that it was the little fella named Jihoonie he had recognized. Am I right in assuming that he was the boy who was set up to witness your fake death?” When Ji Hoon remained silent, his eyes averted to the ground, Guan Lin nodded his head in understanding. “So he was the one… And I suppose that necklace was something he gave you too, am I right?” Again, silence. Closing his eyes, Guan Lin turned away in frustration. “Damn it, Ji Hoon! He knows everything now, doesn’t he? Have you ever thought of what my father would say if he ever finds out?”

“I never intend to let him find out,” replied Ji Hoon calmly. Guan Lin spun around to stare at Ji Hoon suspiciously.

“Are you… are you even suggesting that you would kill my father to protect that detective?” Guan Lin eyes narrowed when he received no response and he took a step towards him. “Then what are you going to do to me, now that I know everything about your lover? Are you planning to kill me off too?”

Ji Hoon snapped his head towards Guan Lin, immediately standing up to his feet. “Are you planning to use this information to get on your father’s good side?” he asked, taking a threatening step towards him. “If you do anything to hurt Daniel, I swear I’ll be on your back like the devils from hell.”

Guan Lin was not in the least bit intimidated and continued to stare Ji Hoon down. He suddenly pulled him in towards him and kissed him fiercely, forcing his lips onto him as ji hoon struggled in his strong arms. He suddenly kneed him in the groin, sending him collapsing onto the ground in a heap. As he turned to storm off, he suddenly grabbed his arm, pulling him back onto the ground with him and pinning his arms to him front with a bear hug from behind.

“I should have expected that kind of reaction from you,” gasped Guan Lin as he tried to ignore the pain in his groin. Placing a kiss on Ji Hoon’s neck he then moved to whisper in his ear, “Your little boyfriend will be alright, Ji Hoonie, if you only just do one little thing for me…”

Ji Hoon’s eyes widened slightly as he listened to Guan lin’s request. Once he finished, he remained silent in his arms before saying, **“Fine.”**

* * *

 

Dongho poured himself another glass of brandy, the once full bottle now almost empty. Yet he did not feel even the least bit drunk, the pain of losing Samuel still raw and fresh in his heart. All he wanted right now was to forget that he had died, that he was no longer smiling and laughing beside him.

Draining his glass in one mouthful, Dongho slammed the glass back down on the bar counter, his head falling down to rest on his arm. He couldn’t believe how upset he was at losing Samuel. It had always been something he had feared, a reason why he never really became emotionally involved with. His mother’s death had been just as horrible on him and he should have realized that it would be no different when he decided to accept his feelings for Samuel. He should have remained strong instead and warded off his growing affection for him instead of following on through with his emotions and involving him in such dangerous matters as the gangs of Korea.

As Dongho’s thoughts turned to those of the Seoul gangs, his fist curled tightly around his glass in anger. If it wasn’t because of his father’s stupid involvement in this side of the law he wouldn’t be in such a mess. He had had no choice all those months ago when the news of his father’s death reached him in the form of his now closest underling, Jay. It had been years since Dongho had heard anything from his father, the last time he had seen him being a brief visit to pay his respects to Dongho’s mother when she passed away. He knew of his father’s dark dealings and he didn’t want any part of it just like his mother also wanted, but it was not to be when after initially refusing the position an assassin had been sent to try and remove him from the picture. It was then he realized that he had no choice but to assert his power and authority within the gang if he wanted to continue living.

Suddenly, Dongho lifted the glass up off the counter and threw it across the room, the fragile object shattering into a thousand small shards as it connected with wall beside the door. A mildly surprised Jonghyun stood in the doorway, raising his arm to shield himself from the glass shards. Dongho stared angrily at Jonghyun for a few seconds before turning back to reach behind the bar counter for another glass.

“What are you doing here?” he asked surlily. He roughly poured himself another glass of brandy, downing half its contents in a small mouthful.

Jonghyun came to sit on the barstool beside Dongho, reaching behind the bar counter for a glass of his own. “I came as per your suggestion. I want revenge for my dongseang and you’re going to help me.”

he snatched the brandy bottle away from Dongho and poured himself a glass of the brown liquid. Then, taking a small, hesitant breath, he swallowed down its contents rapidly, his face screwing up at the strong, bitter taste of the liquor. Dongho chuckled slightly at his expression.

“I thought Samuel said you never drink,” he said casually, pouring Jonghyun another glass.

Jonghyun nodded his head. “I don’t, but now is a good time.” Again, he swallowed the liquor down in one gulp, this time not so shocked by its bitter taste. Already, he was beginning to feel light-headed from the effects of the alcohol.

“Maybe you should go easy on this stuff,” suggested Dongho as he moved the bottle away from Jonghyun who tried to reach for it. Jonghyun frowned, displeased that Dongho was now denying her the only means of forgetting the pain of losing his dongseang.

“I don’t want you deciding for me, Dongho ,” he snapped, glaring at the man. They continued to stare one another off for some time, before Dongho finally relented and allowed Jonghyun to take the bottle from him. As Jonghyun poured another glass for himself, he said, “I see you’re just as badly affected as I am over… samu..” he paused, staring before him at the wall covered in shelves upon shelves of Dongho’s liquor collection. “If it wasn’t because of you entering his life, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.”

“I see you got out of the police station rather quickly,” said Dongho, changing the subject. He didn’t need to hear Jonghyun blame him for Samuel’s death. He had enough of that from himself.

Jonghyun just shrugged as he took a small sip of his brandy. “There wasn’t much I could tell them, except that it was your fault what happened to Samuel.”

A sarcastic smile spread across Dongho’s face as he lifted his glass up to study. “Oh, really? Did you tell them everything, how I own casinos, manage several bars and am the leader of the second most powerful gang in Seoul, the Group?”

Shocked, Jonghyun snapped his head to glare angrily at Dongho. “I never knew you were a gang leader, much less the leader of the  Group!” he stood up off his stool, forcing it squealing along the floor in his rush to get up and hold Dongho up by the front of his shirt. “Is this the reason why my dongseang was killed? All because of this gang feud which has been plastered all over the news?”

Dongho stared back into the younger men eyes, a look in his eyes that said he no longer cared about anything. “And if it is, what are you going to do to me? Kill me? And leave the ones who really killed your dongseang to live?”

A frustrated look spread itself over Jonghyun’s face before he turned away, angrily swallowing the rest of the brandy in his glass. Dongho studied his reaction, waiting patiently for the questions he knew he would be asking him next.

“So who did kill my dongseang? And don’t give me any of that crap you were giving me earlier today. No one can decide whether or not I should involve myself in this matter of revenge and if you really did love my brother, then you would also agree with me that seeing this killer behind bars is not enough.” Jonghyun refused to turn around and face Dongho, instead standing with his back facing Dongho while he grip on his empty glass tightened.

Dongho realized that there was nothing he could do to sway him off the path for revenge and he had to admit that he was more than willing to comply with Jonghyun suggestion. With a small smile, he patted the barstool next to him. “Come and sit back down. We have a lot to talk about tonight.” As Jonghyun turned around to look at Dongho wonderingly, he then continued to explain, “ **Because getting to Minsoo pet secretary–slash–assassin is not going to be that easy**.”

Jonghyun’s eyes widened in surprise at the information. “You really do know who killed Samuel!”

Dongho stared at him impatiently out the corner of his eyes. “That’s why I said we have a lot to talk about.”

* * *

 

**_Tbc._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOUBLE CHAP YAYY ! So in this chapter you saw something "secret" happen between Ji hoon & Guan Lin, and Dongho and Jonghyun team up for revenge. I must say, Guan Lin thing was totally unplanned and I have a feeling that my story is beginning to deviate from original plan  Ah well, we'll see together how this will turn up in the end, 
> 
> Next Chatper: Minhyun makes an untimely visit and Daniel finally decides to do something...


	38. Chapter 38

 

* * *

Jaehwan stifled a yawn as he sat leaning against one of the large metal columns that supported the front roof of the Financial Corporation’s head office in Seoul. Minhyun stood leaning against it on the step above him, keeping an eye-out for any sign of Ji Hoon. They had been doing this for the past few days already, but were disappointed each day when they saw no sign of Ji Hoon anywhere. And at this rate, it seemed even less and less likely that they would be able to corner him and confirm their suspicions.

Unable to stand it anymore, Jaehwan stood to his feet, letting out a small shout of frustration. “Argh! I can’t take this anymore! You can stay and wait for him here, Minhyun! There are other things I have to be doing too, you know.”

Minhyun turned to look at Jaehwan, startled at his sudden outburst. As he was about to walk off, he hurriedly reached out for his hand to halt him. “Wait, Jaehwan! Don’t go just yet. I have a feeling that today might be the day where we’ll finally be able to corner him! Don’t you also want to know whether he is Jihoonie or not?”

Jaehwan turned around to glare at Minhyun, his other free hand on his hip. “I don’t care anymore! Minhyun, we’ve been waiting here for three days already. Don’t you think it’s about time we give up waiting for him?” The look on his face softened slightly as he came to place a hand on his shoulder. “And besides, look at how tight the security is around this place. We saw the other day what they did to several reporters who wanted to interview Minsoo. I don’t want that to happen to you too.”

A small happy smile spread its way across Minhyun’s face, touched by the concern for him he saw in his eyes. He then removed his hand from his shoulder, bringing it to grip together firmly with him other before him. “Thank you, Jaehwan… I never thought there would be a day when would I hear you expressing concern for me. But I’m not going to give up that easily yet.”

They continued to stand that way with their hands locked together, smiling with one another as they stared deep into the other’s eyes. After some time, Jaehwan took in a deep breath, pulling his hands from Minhyun’s as he swung them around him nervously. “Well, I guess we’re staying then,” he laughed. Then, hopping down a couple of steps, he turned around to face Minhyun, “But I’m gonna head off to buy something to eat. Do you want anything, Minhyun?”

Minhyun smiled as he shook his head. “Nah, I’m fine. But don’t take too long, okay honey? It’s going to get very lonely without you here, honey.”

“Urgh, don’t use those kind of words with me, Minhyun!” shouted Jaehwan with a small blush creeping across his face. “You know how much it freaks me out to hear you say such things!”

Minhyun just laughed as he watched Jaehwan walk off to the café across the street. “That’s why I say such things to you,” he muttered under his breath.

Just then, a black Mercedes entered the driveway before the office building, coming to a stop at the base of the stairs which led up towards the main entrance doors. After having spent three days waiting and watching for any sign of Ji Hoon, Minhyun had come to recognize the car that belonged to the big boss. The driver of the vehicle stepped out to open the door for Minsoo, while a security guard came to open the door for the other passenger, the person whom Minhyun had been waiting so long for. Just seeing him standing before him threw any other doubt out of his mind that he was not Jihoonie. Without any hesitation, he immediately strolled over to Ji Hoon, grabbing him by the arm as he was about to pass him up the steps.

“Park Ji Hoon shhi, may I have a word with you?” he asked formally, a serious determined look on his face. He had to admit that he was pleased with the faint glimmer of recognition in his eyes before they returned to their usual expressionless glare.

“I am sorry Sir, but I have no time. If you really must see me, then please make an appointment beforehand. I am very busy and right now my schedule is tight,” replied Ji Hoon, pulling his arm out of Minhyun’s firm grip.

He reached for him again, pulling him in close so that he could whisper, “I know who you really are, Ji Hoonie. And I have a feeling Daniel  knows too, judging from the way he acts. What I don’t know however, is why you have changed your identity.”

Ji Hoon hesitated for a minute, before pulling his arm out of Minhyun’s grip once more when he noticed Minsoo watching him intently. Turning to glare at Minhyun fully in the eye, he said, “I fear you are mistaken, Sir. Please do not waste my time any further. I am not the one you should be asking for such favors. Guards!” Two security guards ran over to his side, standing at attention as they awaited their orders. “Please escort this gentleman away from our premises. Make sure he does not come anywhere near this building again.”

The guards heeded Ji Hoon’s orders, promptly grabbing an arm of Minhyun’s each as they began to drag him away. Shocked and outraged that he was treated in such a fashion, he began to struggle against the guards. “Ji Hoon! We haven’t finished our talk yet! YAA Park Ji Hoon!” he shouted but he no longer heard him, having already stepped inside the building with Minsoo. Jaehwan suddenly came running over as Minhyun was finally released at the front gate of the office, a panicked look on his face.

“Minhyun! Minhyun, what happened?” he asked, juggling two cups of coffee in one had as he came to hold onto Minhyun.

Minhyun glared back at the guards, who watched him warily. “It seems like my hunch was right but he refused to say anything. However, I don’t think we’ll be able to get this close to him again.”

Frowning slightly, Jaehwan turned to peer back at the  Finance head office. “I wonder why then, did he go through all that effort of pretending to be dead only to be living right under our noses with a new identity?”

All Minhyun could do was shake his head. “I don’t know but I think it’s probably time we consult Daniel as to what is actually going on here.”

Back inside the office, Ji Hoon stood quietly beside Minsoo in the elevator as the two of them made their way up to their office on the top floor. Ji Hoon’s insides were squirming with nervousness at what had just passed; cursing Minhyun for what must have been the hundredth time since he had the guards drag him out. Minsoo was bound to be suspicious as to what that was all about and he knew it was only a matter of time before he would be able to link Minhyun with Daniel . And that meant their safety was no longer secured with just his remaining under Minsoo command.

The elevator doors chimed open as they came to a stop and Minsoo immediately stepped out, heading straight for his office. Ji Hoon followed obediently behind him, each step causing his concern to grow. It wasn’t until Minsoo had finally entered his room before he spoke.

“Just now… what did that guy want?” he asked casually, not looking up at Ji Hoon as he went to sit behind his desk. Ji Hoon walked over to stand before Minsoo, looking down at the ground.

“He thought that he would be able to coerce me into assisting him with a deal to pass on to you, Master . Nothing that is worth our notice,” replied Ji Hoon in a clam and even tone although his heart was pounding furiously with a mixture of fear and dread. he prayed that Minsoo would find nothing suspicious with Minhyun and leave the matter to rest.

Minsoo looked up from his desk, studying Ji Hoon closely. After what seemed like an eternity, he then said, “Alright. If you say that it was nothing, then I trust that it was nothing. What is my schedule for today?”

Ji Hoon proceeded to pull his PDA from the pocket within his suit, immediately regain his posture to the older man his schedule for the day. However, the way Minsoo had easily dismissed the matter seemed to unnerve Ji Hoon. Forcing that thought to the back of his mind to deal with later, Ji Hoon concentrated on his task at hand. As if Guan Lin proposition the other night to him wasn’t enough to make him worried…

* * *

 

Daniel , Jinyoung, Woojin and the rest of the team put in charge of investigating the Apollyon case sat together in the headquarters’ meeting room. All had grim looks on their faces, the result of a round of scolding by the press and their superiors. Park Jiseok himself was flicking through the latest report of Samuel death, through several witness reports that claimed to have seen an unknown man enter the room next door. But when they had searched the room they found nothing at all, save for the lone clock ticking noisily on the wall.

After some time, Jiseok decided it was time to speak. “As you guys know, the Apollyon case has been going on for several years and many have wondered why we, the police, have never been able to catch this assassin. I now ask you guys; why is this so?”

The others all remained silent, unwilling to give an answer. Jiseok transferred his gaze from one to the other, studying them patiently as he awaited their response. Finally, his gaze came to rest on Daniel , whom he was surprised to see staring back at him with an emotionless look on his face.

“Do you have something to say, Daniel ?” he asked.

Daniel continued to look at Jiseok for a while longer before averting his gaze. “I want out of the Apollyon case,” he announced suddenly, earning surprised glances from the rest of his team.

“You want ‘out’?” repeated Jiseok, unable to believe what he was hearing. In all his years that he’d known the young detective, not once had he seen Daniel pull out of a case. “Why?”

“Exactly, Daniel! Why?” shouted Jin young as he slammed the table. “How can you suddenly decide something like this, just suddenly pull out of a case like this? Is it because it’s difficult? Then if that’s the reason, I don’t know where the old Daniel I went to the academy with has disappeared to.”

Daniel continued to keep his eyes averted, staring at the ground before him. He knew that this announcement of his would not go across very well, especially with Jin young. It had been on his mind for some time now, ever since he had found out that Ji Hoon was Apollyon, and Samuel death only proved to him that he was no longer fit to head the investigation on him. However, pulling out of the Apollyon case did not mean that he was going to give up putting a stop to his assassinations.

Looking up, Daniel then said, “I want to switch tactics. Chasing after Apollyon’s shadow seems to bring us nowhere, something we should have realized a long time ago. I want to start chasing the Seoul gangs instead, especially the Syndicate.”

Jiseok frowned at this suggestion while Jin young looked surprised. “You want to start investigating the Syndicate?” asked Jin young, narrowing his eyes in suspicion as he lowered his voice. “Do you know something about Apollyon that you’re not telling us?”

Daniel turned to meet Jin young’s eyes. “All I know is that he is working for the Syndicate.”

“And you’ve been keeping this secret from us?” Jin young rolled his eyes in disbelief when Daniel did not avert his eyes. “How could you do that to us? You should have told us an important lead like that. How did you even find out that Apollyon was working for the Syndicate?”

Daniel frowned slightly at Jin young’s accusing tone, feeling his stomach knot in guilt for the bigger secret he was hiding. “How I found out is of no importance. The thing is I was not able to confirm that Apollyon was indeed working for the Syndicate until recently. And that is why I want to chase after the Syndicate instead.” When no one uttered anymore complaints, Daniel then continued, turning to face Jiseok. “With your permission, Superintendent, I would like to join the other teams working on the syndicate gangs. I suggest sending out several more surveillance teams to follow all known members of the Five, focusing primarily on the Syndicate. It can be made known that you have decided to change the detective in charge of the Apollyon case, and I suggest that Jin young should take the post up.”

“Me?” exclaimed Jin young in shock as he pointed at himself, his mouth hanging open. “Why me? I’ve never headed a team of detectives before on a case this big. If you’re going to investigate the Syndicate, then I want in too!”

Several others in their team muttered their agreement. No one wanted to be stuck on this team that was now looking more and more defunct. As their murmurs steadily grew louder, Jiseok raised a hand to silence them all.

“That’s enough. I have to say, I agree with Daniel’s plan. Jin young, you will now be in charge of the Apollyon case because we still need this group running, just in case there are any moles in our department who will leak to the Syndicate about our change in tactics. As for you, Daniel; give me some time to sort out your transfer into our Seoul Gangs division. And once you enter, I expect to see some results soon.” With that, Jiseok stood, picking up his share of the files on the table. “That’ll be all for now. You’re all dismissed,” he said as he stepped out of the meeting room.

The others all slowly filed out of the room, muttering to one another as they threw discreet glances in Daniel’s direction. Soon, the room was empty save for Jin young and Daniel himself. Slowly, Jin young finally stood, placing his hands on the table as he leant forward to stare at Daniel , studying him carefully.

“For some reason, Daniel, I get the feeling that there is something else you’re hiding. I only hope that it’s nothing important and is not the reason for you transferring over to the Seoul Gangs division,” he said before standing up straight and stepping out of the room, staring at Daniel all the way.

He heard the door close as he left the room and let out a small tired sigh. It was done. He was finally on the way to being able to do something to help Ji Hoon out of the Syndicate’s grasp. He was no longer the one who was chasing Apollyon. He realized that he should be feeling elated that this was the case, but for some

reason, this small accomplishment had left him feeling incredibly hollow inside.

* * *

 

**Tbc.**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I'll let you guys tell Minhyun off for going to Ji Hoon in front of Minsoo. And Daniel is now finally going to start doing something about Minsoo, but will it be too late?
> 
> Next Chapter: Ji Hoon contemplates his situation further while Minhyun decides to confront Daniel ...


	39. Chapter 39

* * *

****

As Ji Hoon and Minsoo returned to the mansion later that evening, Ji Hoon was immediately dismissed by Minsoo at the entrance as he continued on his way up the stairs and into his office. He watched in surprise as he walked off, unsure of how to react to his sudden dismissal of him. It was the first time Minsoo had let him off so easily without giving him any final orders. Usually, when they arrived home, he would follow him all the way into his office to help with matters concerning the Syndicate. But it seemed as if Minsoo didn’t want him near him, not since the event this morning…

Seongwoo walked over to Ji Hoon from the side hallway, his eyes following him up the stairs. “What happened?” he asked, turning to study Ji Hoon’s face.

Ji Hoon looked back down at the ground before turning to walk back outside, heading towards the courtyards out front. He came to a stop beside a large fountain surrounded by a neatly trimmed waist-high hedge, the centerpiece of Minsoo’s European styled section of his garden. When Ji Hoon saw that no one was around, he turned around to face Seongwoo with a grim expression on his face. “Someone from my past came to meet me before Minsoo today.”

“Who?” asked Seongwoo, narrowing his eyes in suspicion? “Do not tell me it is Daniel.”

“It is not him,” snapped Ji Hoon defensively. “He knows better than that.” Looking away, he said in a softer voice, “It was… someone who used to go to the same orphanage as me.”

Ji Hoon felt Seongwoo’s eyes bore onto his, feeling as if he was smoldering under the intensity of his scrutinizing glare. After some time, he felt him turn away, much to his relief.

“Just to let you know, I spotted someone I hadn’t seen in quite a long time enter our house just now. I suppose you could say he was an ‘old friend’ of mine.” He paused, stepping over to study the hedge alongside them, gently caressing its leaves. Ji Hoon could tell that what Seongwoo had to say was important, judging from the serious look he had on his face. “I have never told you about me and Minki have I?”

Ji Hoon pondered for a moment, wondering where he was going with all this. “Minki is an assassin from Jejudo, is he not? I have heard of him before but never met him.”

Seongwoo let out a sigh as he turned to look at the mansion. “Minki used to be my friend when we first entered the Syndicate together. That all changed however, when Minsoo began favouring me instead, and he became resentful and bitter towards me. Minsoo, noting the growing hostility between us, decided to send Minki away to Jejudo where he was trained to be the assassin you know him to be.” He seemed to pause for a minute, a thoughtful look on his face. “I wonder why he has suddenly come to see Minsoo at such a time as this...”

Ji Hoon turned to stare at the mansion with him, a sinking feeling in his chest. “Do you think… he no longer trusts us?” he asked quietly, the water of the fountain behind them tinkling softly.

Seongwoo shrugged as he turned to look back down at Ji Hoon. “Who knows? All we can do is continue to observe quietly and be as least suspicious as possible. Minki presence unnerves me slightly, but it may all turn out to be nothing.” He turned to walk past Ji Hoon and back towards the mansion, pausing only to pat him on the shoulder. “Do not try to communicate with Daniel anymore. I can no longer send your messages to him and do not think that no one saw your meeting with him several days ago. Also, try to stay away from Guan Lin. He and Minsoo seem to be at each other's throats even more lately and it would not look good to see you around him like last night.”

Ji Hoon watched him walk off, his mind a whirlwind of questions, doubts and panic. But the immediate worry that rose to him mind however, was that of Minki. If Seongwoo was worried about him being here, then what did that mean for him? His warning for him meeting Daniel he understood fully but he didn’t expect him to have found out about it. And then there was Lai Guan Lin…

Turning away in annoyance, Ji Hoon continued to walk through the courtyard. Guan Lin was probably someone he could not avoid. He was bound to come looking for him again soon, to confirm the details of their deal. Yet looking at how things were turning out, perhaps it would not be such a bad idea to go along with his plan. But how to go about it? That was the main problem. After all, killing the leader of the Syndicate and escaping without a scratch would definitely not be an easy feat to achieve.

* * *

 

Minhyun and Jaehwan were clearing the table with his mother and ahjusshi when Daniel finally arrived home. He greeted them tiredly as he walked by and entered the kitchen, reaching into the cupboards to pull out a new plate. Then, grabbing several plates that were filled with food from the meal the others had finished, he placed them one by one into the microwave as he went to fill his plate with rice. Minhyun and Jaehwan entered behind him with the empty dishes, placing them in the sink before coming to stand beside Daniel.

“We need to talk with you, ,” whispered Jaehwan as he spied his mum entering the kitchen with the last of the dishes.

Daniel glanced from Jaehwan to Minhyun, then back again, feeling that he knew what they wanted to talk with him about. As the microwave beeped, he turned around to remove his dish from within. “Can we talk later? At least let me have my dinner first.” He placed the next dish in and then carried his plate of rice and the first dish over to the table. Jaehwan and Minhyun followed him.

“Alright, but you’ve promised, ,” said Minhyun as the microwave beeped and Jaehwan went to remove the dish for him. Daniel looked at him out the corner of his eye before concentrating on his dinner. They left him to eat in peace, Minhyun joining Jaehwan’s dad in the living room while Jaehwan went to help out mother with the dishes.

After some time, Daniel finally finished his dinner and as he was clearing the table, both Minhyun and Jaehwan came to help him with it all. He frowned at the pair, taking back his plate from Minhyun. “I can carry all this myself, you two. Just go wait in my office and I’ll be up there once I’m done with the dishes,” he said, shaking his head as he made his way into the kitchen.

Minhyun and Jaehwan exchanged a glance with one another, a grim look on their faces. They were both now suddenly feeling nervous at the prospect of confronting Daniel, unsure of how he would react to the fact that they knew about Jihoonie. With a shake of their heads’ each to shake the feeling away, they left the dining room together and went to wait in Daniel’s office as per his instructions, but not without a confused glance from Jaehwan’s parents in the living room.

They didn’t have long to wait before Daniel finally entered his office, moving to sit behind his desk as he went to remove Rooney from his Bed. Placing the Cat on his desk, he retrieved a small plate and filled it with food, which Rooney  happily dipped his mouth into. Once he was done, he looked up to stare at both Minhyun and Jaehwan.

“What did you two want to talk about?” he asked, leaning back in his chair. Rooney continued to crunch his food noisily on the desk.

Minhyun exchanged a glance with Jaehwan before he spoke. “We went to see a man named Park Ji Hoon today,” he began simply, pausing to gauge Daniel’s reaction at that piece of information.

At first, Daniel appeared to look calm, as if the news did not mean anything to him. However, they were not prepared for the enraged look that soon appeared on his face. “You what?” he asked in a low voice. “How you could you do something so-so stupid as that? Do you have any idea what you have done? And why did you all of a sudden visit him?” All the colour in his face suddenly drained away as his enraged look faded away. “Don’t tell me…?” he began but stopped, unwilling to voice what he suspected.

“We know he is Jihoonie, Daniel,” continued Minhyun, unfazed by Daniel’s outburst at him earlier. “But he didn’t tell me anything and had the guards drag me away from the office.”

“You went to visit him at the office?” He looked away in frustration, massaging his temples with his right hand as he felt the onset of a bad headache. “Please tell me it was not in front of Minsoo,” he mumbled, loud enough for both Minhyun and Jaehwan to hear.

Minhyun and Jaehwan exchanged a confused glance with one another. “So what if it was in front of Minsoo? He didn’t seem to say anything when I approached him.”

Daniel snapped his head to glare at Minhyun before standing up. “Of course it matters! You were there when Jihoonie was ‘killed’. He is bound to find out that you once went to the same orphanage as him and come after you.” He walked over to the window, staring at the closed venetian blinds before him. “He’ll link you to me and realize that Jihoonie is no longer trustworthy. Damn it! I was hoping for more time to deal with Minsoo but now that there’s a possibility that he may start suspecting Jihoonie…” He suddenly slammed his hand against the blinds, causing them to clatter loudly before turning around to stare angrily at Minhyun. “Damn it, Minhyun hyung! Why did you have to go and do something so foolish as that?” he shouted.

Minhyun, feeling his own anger rise in retaliation to Daniel’s, also stood as he glared back at him. “What are you yelling at me for? I have no idea what the hell you are going on about but if you didn’t want us doing anything ‘foolish’ as you say it was, then you should not have been keeping everything secret!”

Daniel took an angry step towards Minhyun, barely restraining himself from hitting the  man. Instead, he raised one of his fists, pointing at his face. “I can’t tell you everything, Minhyun, for everyone’s safety. But it seems not telling you some things ended up jeopardising our safety anyway.” Turning away, Daniel returned to his seat where he fell into it exhausted. Rooney cocked his head to stare at Daniel, as if he could sense the stress his owner was going through. Minhyun, with the help of Jaehwan, also sat back down in his chair, still glaring at Daniel.

“Then tell us now why knowing about Jihoonie’s existence would have jeopardized our safety. And pray, tell us, why he is even still alive!” exclaimed Minhyun.

Daniel peered at Minhyun from the corner of his eye. “All you need to know is that he is alive and is trapped under Minsoo’s control. And if you have been following the news about the Seould gangs lately, then you would know why I did not want you to know.”

Minhyun seemed puzzled by what Daniel had said and his brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to decipher the enigma. However, Jaehwan’s face brightened as realization dawned on him.

“Don’t tell me… that those rumours of Minsoo being the leader of the Syndicate are true, Hyung?” exclaimed Jaehwan in surprise. He then scrunched his face up in confusion again as another thought hit him. “But then that would mean Jihoonie is a member of the Syndicate as well? How? And why would it be so important to hide his identity and past with us, so important that finding out can endanger all our lives?”

Daniel peered at his step-brother with a sad look on his face. “I can’t tell you why yet. And I don’t know if I want to tell you either, when the time is finally right,” he said softly, averting his eyes elsewhere.

Seeing the sadness in Daniel’s eyes eased the anger Minhyun felt towards him and he found himself pitying his friend. After all, Daniel would be the one who would be the most affected with this news, more than him and Jaehwan. He could not imagine what had forced Jihoonie to fake his death but seeing the look in Daniel’s eyes now told him that it was not good. With a sigh, he leant back in his chair and felt Jaehwan’s hand suddenly entwine with his. Turning to look at her, he smiled when he gave him a reassuring look.

Then, turning back to look at Daniel, he said, “Then what now? I paid a visit to Jihoonie already and if what you say is true, then Minsoo is going to come after me?”

Moving to forward to lean on his elbows on the desk, he absently patted Rooney’s fur. “I pray that he won’t find your visit suspicious but I highly doubt that. Chances are, he’s already investigated into your background and will be sending an assassin after you.” Then quietly to himself, he thought, ‘I hope it will not be Jihoonie. I know he would definitely not be able to bring himself to do it, but still… And if Minsoo doesn’t send him, then what does that mean? He does not trust him if he does that. And that means Jihoonie would be as good as dead…’ That last thought did not sit well with him.

Picking up Rooney, he then proceeded to return the cat to his bed. “Let me think about what we should do. I do not believe Minsoo will send anyone after us so soon, however, that does not mean you should lower your guard. I suggest you stay here for the night, Minhyun. It’s late and now is the perfect time for a killer to strike.”

Minhyun nodded his head grimly, feeling Jaehwan firmly squeeze his hand. “Alright.”

* * *

 

**_Tbc._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm wandering through this. Well, i apologise haven been updating having a writers block... but i'm backkk Seongwoo made an appearance again after being gone for so many chapters. A new character has popped up Minki from nuest (although not that important ;D ) and Daniel now knows that Minhyun went to see Ji Hoon. And I've hit almost 40 chapters. Really have no idea how many more chapters this is going to be... I wonder if I will make it to 60?
> 
> Next Chapter: Guan Lin reminds Ji Hoon of their deal and Jonghyun finds out some info...


	40. Chapter 40

 

* * *

The next morning after his encounter with Minhyun, was the first time Jihoon set his eyes on , the man arriving to request private moment with Minsoo as they were about to leave for the office. He was not a very spectacular looking man, rather ordinary except for the deathly air that hung around him as he walked, and a hardness to his eyes that meant business. Jihoon watched as they left together, feeling anxious at the fact that he had once again been excluded from his affairs. He now had the sinking feeling that Minsoo was using Minki to investigate into Minhyun after yesterday’s incident and that he definitely no longer trusted him.

As he went to wait by the car, Guan Lin stepped out of the house, originally heading over to his car but instead veered over to Jihoon when he saw him . A small smirk spread across his cool face, one hand in his pocket while the other hung lazily by his side. Glancing at the other guards who were standing nearby, he stopped short several steps before Jihoon, mindful of the fact that he should not seem too close to Jihoon than he should be.

“I didn’t expect to see Minsoo to leave you all alone again like last night, Jihoonie,” smiled Guan Lin, glancing over his shoulder back at the mansion entrance. “But I wonder who the man that has so quickly taken your place is?”

Jihoon ignored him, moving to open the car door and step inside. However, Guan Lin came to stop him, refusing to allow him to close the door once he was seated inside. “What do you want, Lai Guan Lin?” he hissed under his breath, throwing a wary glance back at the mansion’s entrance. he was conscious of ’s warning the other day and he wanted Guan Lin to go as far away as he possibly could from him.

Guan Lin raised an amused eyebrow, leaning in closer to Jihoon as he raised a hand to stroke his cheek, his body hiding his action from any prying eyes. “Are you scared that my father will find out about… our ‘closeness’?” he teased as Jihoon swatted his hand away.

“There is nothing ‘close’ between us, Guan Lin,” snapped Jihoon. He sat back into his seat, crossing his arms as he stared ahead angrily. Guan Lin continued to watch him, studying him carefully.

After some time, he finally stood up with a nonchalant look on his face. “I suppose you are right, but perhaps the fact you have stopped referring to me as ‘Master Lin’’ might indicate that you have, in fact, become closer to me,” he remarked with a sneer.

“The only reason I have stopped referring to you as ‘Master Lin’ is because I do not feel the need to respect you anymore. A man who is willing to have even his father murdered is not someone I would hold in high regard,” whispered Jihoon angrily.

Guan Lin narrowed his eyes angrily, gripping Jihoon roughly by the chin to turn him to face him. “Clearly you do not remember our little ‘conversation’ last night.” Leaning down, he pulled Jihoon’s lips to his, forcefully kissing him roughly. Jihoon tried to pull his face away but he couldn’t, his grip on him painfully tight. After several more second, he finally pulled away, a nasty glint in his eyes. “I told you before that I could have easily requested you to trade your body in for the secret of your lover but I decided that killing my father is of more importance. You too are also keen on eliminating my father as well, correct? In that case I suggest you never say anything like that again if you wish to keep your lover safe and your modesty intact.”

He suddenly shoved his face away and Jihoon turned to glare up at him with hatred. “I hope you finally think of a way to achieve our common goal soon, Jihoon. Time is running out not only for me, but for you as well. After killing the Group leader’s lover, I’m sure you would have realized that there would be someone investigating into the matter on his side. And although you’ve managed to hide your identity well for so many years, I’m sure that their new leader would have found it out by now if his challenge to my father is any means to judge him by.”

With that, Guan Lin turned around on the spot and walked over to where his sports car was parked in the garage. Jihoon watched him walk off, trying his best to control his outrage at Guan Lin. His advances the night before had been a nuisance as he came to pester him about a way to get to Minsoo, his constant reminders of his blackmail also a bitter experience he’d rather forget. As he turned back around to close the door, Jihoon spotted Minsoo finally exiting the mansion with Minki by his side. Again, the uneasy feeling he had earlier returned as he watched Minki walk off and Minsoo entering the car from the other side. Without saying anything, Minsoo quietly sat beside Jihoon as their driver pulled out of the driveway, Jihoon managing to catch a glimpse of Minki as he watched them drive away with that hardness in his eyes.

* * *

Jonghyun sat at his usual spot by the window in the coffee shop across the street from the Finance Corporation head office, gazing quietly at its front doors. He had been doing this since the other day after his little talk with Dong Ho and he had indeed found that it would be difficult to get to Jihoon . Dong Ho had warned him not to come directly to the office due to the slight possibility that Minsoo’s men may know that he was the Brother of Samuel but nevertheless,  still decided to come on his own to see with his own eyes the assassin who killed his bro. Now that he had seen Jihoon, he realized that even if he had walked past him on the street, he would never have figured him to be an assassin. On that note, he had to commend Dong Ho for managing to figure out his identity.

He turned away from the view of the office, sipping his coffee absently as he thought over the plan Dong Ho had proposed to him the other day. They intended to kidnap Jihoon for themselves instead of killing him outright, considering the possibility that they may be able to lure Minsoo out personally seeing as he seemed to care about his ‘pet’ – as Dong Ho so casually referred to him as – quite a bit. At first, this sounded like an easy feat someone like Dong Ho could come to achieve, however, after seeing the way Jihoon travelled everywhere with Minsoo, he found it becoming as difficult as Dong Ho first told him it would be.

The coffee shop was mildly busy, workers from the office buildings in the area every now and then popping in for either a quick cup or a long chat with friends. Amongst this crowd and those that wandered the streets, Jonghyun knew from Dong Ho that there were some members of the group hidden in their midst on surveillance duty. Several of them he had recognized, having seen them at Dong Ho’s mansion on his now frequent visits. A few others he suspected but wasn’t sure, only having seen them pay a little more attention to Jihoon and Minsoo’s comings and goings more than was usual for an ordinary civilian. But even though he knew that Dong Ho’s men had managed to infiltrate the Syndicate’s territory this much, Jonghyun still decided to come, for doing absolutely nothing over the matter was going to drive him insane.

Several office workers entered the coffee shop, chatting good-naturally with one another over the dealings within the  Finance Corporation. Usually, Jonghyun would always lend an ear in their direction, half-listening to their conversation in the hope that he would be able to find out any extra information on his enemy. But most times this proved futile, as the conversations were usually restricted to topics concerning the workers themselves and never their big boss. It was as if it was taboo for the employees of Finance to speak about Minsoo.

The group came to sit at a table behind Jonghyun after they had placed their orders at the counter, laughing loudly when one of them finished a tale about the photocopy machine and some new intern. Jonghyun was about ready to give up listening to their conversation when, suddenly, something one of them said caught his interest.

“Did any of you guys see how distant Minsoo was acting towards that personal secretary of his this morning?” asked one of the men in a hushed voice. As Jonghyun’s back was facing them, he could not see their faces.

There was a slight uncomfortable pause before one of them answered, “You mean how he kind of ignored his presence more than usual?”

“Yeah, I kind of noticed that too when he walked past our division. Before he would remain quite close to him but it feels as if he is annoyed with him following him all over the place. I wonder what happened?” said a third.

The first man’s voice dropped to barely louder than a whisper and Jonghyun had to strain his ears to hear what he said. “Do you think it could be a lover’s quarrel? I’m sure you guys have heard the rumors about their relationship. They’ve always been so close together in the past.”

The other two immediately replied, “No way…” Then the second man continued, “He’s too young and scary for him. I think maybe he messed up on some important piece of work for him and he’s upset over that. They should be back to their normal ways sometime soon.”

As the conversation turned to another topic, Jonghyun returned to focus on his coffee cup as he thought over what those three workers had said. So Jihoon has somehow fallen out of favour with Minsoo. Then that would mean their plan of using Jihoon initially as the bait would be useless. But from what Dong Ho had told him about Minsoo and Jihoon’s relationship, it sounded as if nothing could ever break it yet here were three employees discussing that very impossibility. Standing up, Jonghyun walked out of the coffee shop and headed over to the nearest bus stop. This new piece of info was perhaps something Dong Ho would like to hear about.

Jihoon sat quietly behind his desk in Minsoo’s office as he busily typed away on his computer. Every now and then he snuck a glance at the man, only to see him engrossed in the paperwork that lay in a big stack on his desk. From his PDA, he knew that Minsoo had a meeting with a small company to attend down in the gangnam area. Yet the man made no indication of getting ready to leave whatsoever, even after Jihoon had reminded him merely minutes ago.

Clearing his throat, he stood up and walked over to stand before the older man. “Master , it is almost 3:30pm. You have a meeting with Kim Industrial at 4. I suggest that we should begin heading over there, Sir.”

Minsoo continued to read his document, ignoring Jihoon. He continued to wait patiently however, and as each second ticked by, he grew more and more anxious. Finally, Minsoo snapped his file shut and slowly placed it down on his desk.

“Do you have all the documents ready to take over there?” he asked, slowly turning to look up at Jihoon with a blank look in his eyes. The shine he had once had in them as he peered at him was no longer there, and he found that even more unnerving than when he had stared at him brightly before.

“Yes, Master. The documents have all been prepared and are waiting on my desk.” Jihoon bowed his head slightly before walking over to his desk where he picked up several black folders.

Minsoo only nodded his head. “Very well, then we shall get going. However, I will need to make one short phone call, so you can go wait downstairs for me first.”

Jihoon hesitated slightly before bowing his head and stepping around his desk to grab his pen. As he went to retrieve the pen from his draw however, he discreetly placed a mobile phone on his chair, pressing the call button before he promptly left the room with one last bow at Minsoo. As he made his way over to the elevator, Jihoon removed his mobile from his jacket, pressing the answer button.

The volume was very faint but nevertheless, Jihoon could make out what Minsoo was saying. His conversation was quite brief and he did not say much, but the last sentence he said as the elevator doors slid open chilled Jihoon to the bone.

“In that case, then go ahead and kill that boy tonight. As for the detective, make him your next target after him and I shall deal personally with my little treacherous secretary later.”

* * *

 

 ** _tbc_**.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for disappearing , but I was suffering from a case of writer's block .
> 
> Next Chapter: Minsoo has now ordered Minki to murder Minhyun and Daniel . What will Jihoon do??


	41. Chapter 41

 

* * *

Jonghyun abruptly rose up out of his seat as soon as Dongho walked past the guest waiting room, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings with a distant look in his eyes. Quickly, Jonghyun rushed over to cut Dongho off as he reached the base of the stairs which lead to his study.

“Do you have a minute? I’ve got something I want to talk to you about.”

Dongho exchanged a glance with Jay and the others around him before they all nodded and continued on off down the hallway beyond the stairs. Turning to nod his head in the direction of the stairs, Dongho led the way up as Jonghyun followed him quietly behind.

They entered Dongho’s study upstairs and as they set foot into the room, Jonghyun realised that this was in fact the first time he had ever stepped into the man’s office. It was a modestly furnished room, modular styled shelves carrying a sparse number of books and files adorning the walls. To the left of the entrance was a large window which looked out over the mansion’s garden, a silver venetian blind partly obscuring the view. Dongho proceeded to sit behind his simply styled beech desk, leaning forward on the desk as he looked up at Jonghyun expectantly, waiting to hear what it was that Jonghyun wanted to say to him.

Jonghyun quickly took his seat opposite Dongho, awkwardly avoiding Dongho’s intense gaze as he tried to sort out what he wanted to say. As his eyes wandered the room, they fell upon a photo of Dongho holding onto Samuel tightly from behind, their faces lit up by joyful smiles. Jonghyun felt his heart wrench painfully at the image, quickly returning his eyes to Dongho’s as he felt his anger at never having the chance to see Samuel smile that way again, rekindle.

“I know you’ve been telling me not to hang around the office but I can’t just sit around doing nothing while those who ruthlessly murdered my brother roam unpunished,” began Jonghyun hotly. Seeing no response from Dongho however, Jonghyun felt himself begin to falter slightly. he had expected to see Dongho frown or scold him, not stare at him so placidly. Regaining his composure, Jonghyun then continued, “Anyway, today I heard several employees of  Finance discussing some interesting development between Ji hoon and Minsoo. From the sounds of what they were saying, it looked like-”

“Ji hoon has fallen out of favour with Minsoo, I know,” finished Dongho as he leaned back in his chair with a tired look on his face.

Jonghyun stared at him dumbfounded. “You knew?”

Dongho nodded. “I have my sources. But this little development is going to affect the plan we have already begun to put in action.”

“That’s what I was thinking when I heard the news… If Ji hoon is no longer favored by Minsoo, and we still continue to kidnap him and hold him hostage, would Minsoo still come after him?” wondered Jonghyun. he averted his gaze, deep in thought.

Dongho continued to study Jonghyun, his face not betraying one bit of what he was thinking. After some time, he finally spoke. “The only thing we can do now is continue with surveillance. I believe Ji hoon will regain Minsoo’s favour in time, as is always the case. However, if things do not go that way… we shall decide what to do then.”

Jonghyun turned to look back up at Dongho, his eyebrows curving in a slight frown. Any delay in their plan for revenge was unwelcome and he wanted to get this over and done with, once and for all. It wasn’t getting them anywhere, sitting around and just watching what will happen, but Jonghyun knew full well that they had no other choice. With a sigh, he leant back in his chair, taking the chance to fume over the situation for a little while longer.

* * *

 

Ji hoon dialed his mobile for what was the hundredth time that day, now pacing up and down in his room with a frustrated look on his face. Minsoo didn’t suspect that he knew about his plans, and as he did the day before, he had dismissed him immediately once they arrived back at the mansion. Whenever he was by himself throughout the day, Ji hoon had been constantly trying to get through to either Daniel or Seongwoo, but the fact that he always met with the voicemail inbox of their respective mobiles frustrated him further. There wasn’t much time left.

Hearing the dreaded voicemail greeting once again from Seongwoo’s phone, Ji hoon threw the device onto his bed in frustration. The only two people he could rely on at this critical moment were unreachable. Glancing over to his shelves, it only took him a few seconds to come to a decision. he strolled over to press the hidden button to reveal his store of weapons and began arming himself with everything he would need. There was no longer any point in trying to act all innocent around Minsoo. After all, Minsoo had said so himself to Minki that he would deal with him later, and Ji hoon only knew that Minsoo’s punishment would be far worse than death itself. He might as well run away and attempt to save Minhyun at least, warning Daniel and the others to flee away from Korea if possible. If he could accomplish even just that, his conscience would be somewhat free and he could leave this world peacefully.

Strapping his last dagger to his body, Ji hoon closed the compartment and walked over to pick up his phone. Deciding to try and call Daniel one last time, he pressed the call button on his number and held it to his  ear. The phone rang once… rang twice… rang three times… And just as it was about to be sent to voicemail, Daniel finally picked up his phone.

“Jihonnie? Is that you?” he asked, somewhat surprised that Ji hoon would call him early in the evening. Normally he would only communicate via text messages for fear that someone would overhear.

“Eungeon! Finally you picked up your mobile! I have something really urgent to tell you!” said Ji hoon, his heart suddenly racing tenfold as he rejoiced at finally getting through to Daniel, but panicking at the news he had to tell him.

“Okay,Jihoonie… just calm down. I only just came out of an important meeting so that’s why you couldn’t get through to me. What’s happened?” said Daniel, calmly despite feeling some of Ji hoon’s nervousness seep into him over the phone. If what he had to tell him had him this worked up, it was definitely bad news.

“Minsoo doesn’t trust me anymore. He’s sent an assassin after Minhyun and once he’s done with him, he’ll come for you and anyone else that is involved with my past.” Ji hoon sat down on his bed heavily, resting his forehead on the palm of his hand in a defeated pose. “He knows everything, Daniel. He knows that I’ve begun meeting you again and I’m not sure if he knows that I’ve been intending to betray him soon.”

Daniel frowned slightly at Ji hoon’s last sentence. “You were going to betray Minsoo? How?”

Ji hoon sat up straight, realising he had let slip too much. “By the only way I can.” he stood up quickly, changing the topic. “Daniel, we don’t have the time right now to talk about all the details. Minki could have found Minhyun already by now and is getting ready to assassinate him, if he hadn’t already done it. Tell me where Minhyun is right now and I’ll send someone over to help.”

“That someone won’t be you, will it?” asked Daniel suspiciously.

“It won’t. I can’t leave the Mansion yet, now can I?” bluffed Ji hoon. Although it was technically true that he could not leave the mansion, it did not mean that he would not try.

Daniel didn’t seem to believe him. “Don’t worry about it, Ji hoon. I’ll go straight over to him right now with several other officers. I’m sure we’ll be able to protect Minhyun from him.”

“No!” shouted Ji hoon suddenly, then realized he shouldn’t have shouted. he glanced at his door and then lowered his voice. “If you go and make a scene then we won’t be able to get rid of that assassin. I have my own plan for dealing with that fool and that means I need to know where Minhyun is.”

There was a pause over the other end before Daniel finally let out a sigh. “It’s roughly 5pm right now… that means Minhyun would have finished his last lecture for the day about half an hour ago. However, I don’t think the assassin would have struck there because there are too many people roaming about. He should be on the bus heading back home, which means… we only have twenty minutes left before he gets off at his house! Shoot, we’d better hurry, jihoonie!” he shouted, telling Ji hoon Minhyun’s address as he ran out of the station before hanging up.

Ji hoon hung up his phone as well, tucking it away into his pocket as he made his way over to the balcony. Opening the glass doors, he walked to the edge and peered over it to the ground several meters below. His room was located quite high above the ground, too high to just simply jump down. he went back into his room and retrieved the length of rope he had placed on the desk earlier, returning back to the balcony to tie one end firmly to the rail. Tugging on it to check whether it was firmly secure, he then threw the rest of the rope over the edge before climbing over the rail and began he decent to the ground.

Quickly, Ji hoon made his way around the length of the mansion, hiding whenever Minsoo’s men walked by. he finally reached the japan styled gardens of the house, the large ginkgo he had once used as a means of escape still standing. Glancing around him for one last time, he sped over to the base of the tree and began his ascent. As he reached the branch that protruded out over the wall, Ji hoon readied himself to jump down when a voice suddenly startled him.

“Going somewhere, Ji hoon?” asked a somewhat cocky voice from below.

Ji hoon turned on his spot in the tree to see that Guan Lin was standing a small distance away, an amused look on his face. He took several steps forward, looking down at the ground for where he stepped before looking back up at Ji hoon.

“I hope your little escape right now won’t affect the agreement we have come to, will it?” he asked, still with that cocky look on his face.

Ji hoon angrily stared down at him before answering, “Our agreement no longer stands, Lai Guan Lin. Minsoo knows everything about Daniel and I am not going to let him assassinate him or anyone from my past.”

Guan Lin raised his eyebrows slightly, still smiling. “Oh, is that so? You do know that what you are going to do right now will eventually lead to you and everyone precious to you being hunted down throughout all of Korea, don’t you?” Seeing Ji hoon narrow his eyes further made Guan Lin’s smile widen. “Ah… I see that you do know that. So then; what are you going to do once you have stopped this new assassin of my father’s? Flee to another country? Hmm… I don’t think that’s a very practical idea. My father has some very powerful friends all over the world and you would constantly have to be on the move to avoid them.”

“Why are you saying all of this to me?” snapped Ji hoon impatiently. Every second he was held up by Guan Lin meant that Minki was closer to assassinating Minhyun.

“Why am I saying this to you? It’s simple, really. You won’t be able to live the peaceful life you want unless you kill my father for me. He’s grown old, Ji hoon, and it’s about time he moves aside for a younger generation to take his place. And I’m not going to let my only ticket to power escape so easily either.” Guan Lin stared up at Ji hoon with an intense passion burning in his eyes, and Ji hoon realized with a chill how frighteningly similar they were to his father. There was no doubt that Lai Guan Lin was his father’s son.

“Fine; you have my word that I will return to deal with Minsoo, but in my own way. I will find a way to kill him and you can take control of this vile organization, leaving me and the others alone forever.” With that final statement, Ji hoon finally turned and hopped off the branch over to the other side. As he sped away, Ji hoon could faintly hear Guan Lin’s twisted laughter in the distance, the sound chilling him to the bone.

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Will Ji hoon and Daniel make it in time to save Minhyun???


	42. Chapter 42

* * *

 

Minhyun stood up out of his seat on the bus, making his way over to the door as the vehicle came to a stop. As the doors slid open, he hopped off, a few of the others that he recognized from his daily trips to uni also stepping off here. He smiled at them in greeting before turning down a side street which led to his home.

It had been a long day for Minhyun, cramped up in his seat in his 3 hour long lecture, listening to the professor drone on and on about several different diseases that affect the liver, their symptoms and how to treat them echoing through his tired mind relentlessly. Minhyun had been glad when the lecture had finished, hurrying over to the bus stop to catch then next bus home eagerly.

The evening air was cool, deceptive of the rather hot day it had been. Minhyun veered down into the cul-de-sac where his home was located; smiling to himself as he remembered the little lunch date he had had with Jaehwan. Although it was brief and a little rushed as he had a tutorial to attend immediately after, it was nevertheless enjoyable. However, Minhyun’s smile soon faltered as Jaehwan’s parting words returned to his mind.

* * *

 

= Flashback

“Make sure you head straight back home after uni, okay, Minhyun? I’m worried for you. You should have let Daniel; come pick you up,” he said, peering at Minhyun with a concerned frown.

Minhyun smiled, trying to hide the fact that he too was a little nervous about returning home late and by himself. “I don’t want to trouble Daniel over a little trivial matter such as this. Don’t worry, Jaehwan; everything will be fine.”

End Flashback =

* * *

 

Minhyun glanced around him nervously now as he quickened his pace, mindful about how much more sinister and dark his surroundings suddenly appeared. It would be easy for an assassin to be hiding somewhere in those dark depths, lying in wait as he passed to pounce on him from behind and slit his throat. Pulling his bag firmly onto his shoulder, he broke out into a jog, unable to stand feeling so exposed and wanting to just return to the safety of his house. At least there he would have his foster parents to keep him company, and any assassin that may be after him probably won’t attack him there.

Walking up to his front door, Minhyun fumbled for a moment as he searched his bag for his keys, his hand shaking slightly as he tried to insert it into the small hole. After what seemed like an incredibly long time but was only in fact a few seconds, the key finally slid in and he hurriedly opened the door, slamming it shut behind him as he leant against it. He let out deep breath, not realizing he had been holding it in. Minhyun realized he was slowly losing his mind here, panicking over nothing. It wasn’t like him to lose his cool like that, and all over his own imaginings. Now that he was safe inside his own home, the thoughts he was having just moments ago now seemed absurd.

He shook his head as he stood up straight, taking off his shoes before walking towards the kitchen. The sound of the TV drifted into the hallway as he passed the living room, a loud round of applause and whistle hoots blaring from the set. His foster father could always be found watching the TV at this time, and the fact that Minhyun found the TV on like that brought a sense of normality back to his panic stricken mind.

Popping his head into the kitchen, Minhyun had expected to see his foster mother in there, preparing dinner for him. Instead, he found that no one was in there, food in a pan on the stove burnt to a crisp. Minhyun crinkled his nose in disgust at the burnt smell as he rushed over to turn off the stove, the slight reassurance from seeing the TV on now chased away by suspicion. His foster mother would never leave the stove on unaccompanied, always in fear that something would catch fire.

Minhyun turned away from the stove, searching for any sign of where he could have gone. He decided to track back to the living room to check out whether his foster father was really in there or not. Slowly, he crept into the room, peering through the gloom in search of any sign of life. He stepped up to the couch and what he found chilled him to the bone.

On the couch, his foster father sat there staring at the TV blankly, blood from several stab wounds to the chest staining his white shirt a deep, crimson red. Minhyun’s heart went still at the sight, unable to tear his eyes away from the body. Another cheer emanated from the TV like a horrifying mockery of the scene before his eyes. He rushed over to turn it off, unable to stand the stark contrast of sound with image.

His breathing began speeding up as he refused to turn back around to the couch, unwilling to stare at the body once more. If his foster father was sitting here… dead… then where was his foster mother? Panic started to gnaw away at his insides as a dozen different possibilities ran through his mind. He closed his eyes as he tried to shake away those thoughts. It was no use imagining what may have happened to his foster mother; what he should do is try to locate and escape with her… if she was alive. He turned around and quietly sped out of the living room, refusing to glance at his foster father’s body on the sofa.  
Minhyun ran back into the kitchen and began glancing around for clues. His foster mother had to be around here somewhere, maybe in hiding. He spun on the spot as he heard a soft crunch sound from within the pantry. Arming himself with a kitchen knife from the drawers, he cautiously made his way over. Taking a shaky, deep breath, he opened the pantry door, brandishing the knife far in front of him in case the killer was still in the house and hiding in there. He then almost dropped the knife when he found his foster mother cowering on the floor inside.

“Ajumma! You’re still alive!” he exclaimed in a soft whisper as he knelt to the floor.

“Oh, Minhyun…” whispered his foster mother as she embraced him in a tight, frightened hug. “It… it was… horrible… he… he…” Her voice caught in her throat as she broke down in his arms.

Minhyun continuously patted the back of her head as he tried to comfort her. “Shhh… It’s okay now, Ajumma…” He then pulled away from her, holding her at arm’s length as he peered into her eyes. “We have to get out of here now, Ajumma. Do you know if… if the guy who… who killed Uncle is still in the house?”

His foster mother shook her head furiously as her hands flew to the sides of her head. “I don’t know, Minhyun! But just take me out of here, please?”

Nodding his head, he helped his foster mother to her feet. Warily, they made their way over to the kitchen door, Minhyun still brandishing his knife before him. As they made their way past the living room, Minhyun felt his foster mother’s grip tightened on his left arm and he tried to reassure her with a pat on her hand. However, no sooner than had they passed the living room, did Minhyun suddenly feel a pair of cold hands grip him around the neck from behind.

His foster mother suddenly let out a shriek as she backed away hurriedly, cowering in fear as she stared up at Minhyun being held captive. Then Minhyun suddenly remembered the knife he held in his hand and he raised it, aiming to stab at the man’s leg. However, the man saw what he was doing and managed to grab his hand first, twisting it painfully so that Minhyun had no choice but to release the knife.

“Trying to be sneaky, are we?” sneered Minki in a raspy voice from behind. “I don’t think so.”

Minhyun continued to struggle against the man, but this only earned him a beating. Minki began relentlessly punching into his back at his kidneys, causing Minhyun to groan in pain as he fell to the floor bruised. He then boxed his ears and Minhyun let out a shout as his ears rang mercilessly.

“I am going to have fun, killing you tonight,” he said, removing a nasty looking dagger from his back. “But first, I’ll have to make sure you won’t run away while I deal with that screaming woman over there.” With a cruel smile on his face, Minki suddenly drove the dagger into Minhyun’s leg, pressing down on it as Minhyun grunted against the pain. He then let out a small shout as the man pulled the knife out of his leg, and he hurriedly went to staunch the blood flow, glaring hatefully up at Minki.

Turning around, Minki made his way over to Minhyun’s foster mother, taking slow steps as the woman backed into a corner. She began shaking her head in fright, as if begging him to leave her alone. But the action was futile as he kneeled before her, gripping her hair tightly.

“You’ve been one noisy woman tonight, lady,” he said. Raising the same blade he had used to stab Minhyun, he was about to drive it into her when something suddenly struck his arm. Dropping the dagger, he released Minhyun’s foster mother as his hand when to the small metal dart protruding from his arm. But he didn’t have the time to pull it out yet when someone suddenly flew into the room, aiming a kick square for his head. Minki managed to dodge the kick, rolling out of reach as he held onto his injured arm. Still holding onto his injured leg, Minhyun tried to sit up as he saw that their savior was none other than Ji Hoon, who now swiftly removed two daggers from hidden sheathes on his arms.

Minki peered back at Ji Hoon, a crooked smile playing across his face as he finally pulled the dart from his arm. “Ah… so you came to rescue this ‘friend’ of yours, am I correct, My Ji hoonie?”

Ji Hoon narrowed his eyes as he stared at the despicable man’s face. “Leave now and I won’t kill you, Minki,” said Ji Hoon icily. He in fact had no intention of letting the man leave so easily, and he knew that he would not anyway.

Minki let out a crazed laugh, throwing back his head. “And what makes you so certain that you will be able to achieve that? Sure, you are the infamous Appolyon, but you have grown weak recently, and it is because of these pathetic beings. Your presence here now just proves how deeply affected you are. Minsoo was finally right to decide to get rid of both you and Seongwoo.”

‘Seongwoo…?’ thought Ji Hoon. But he didn’t have any more time to ponder what Minki had said when he suddenly lunged at him, another of his knives in his hand. Ji Hoon dodged the blade, sending a kick at Minki which he deftly dodged. He followed through with two sweeps of his dagger which he then countered by plunging his knife in a downward strike aimed at his head. Ji Hoon crossed his blades as he met with Minki’s knife, the man putting his weight into the small blade as he tried to force it closer and closer to the head. As Ji Hoon realized he couldn’t fight his strength, he then rolled out from underneath by twisting to the right, pushing his blade away from him. He then quickly moved in to take him by surprise around the neck from behind as he was still unsteady from the move he had just pulled on him. Without a second thought and not leaving him a chance to recover, Ji Hoon drew his blades across his neck, cutting deeply into the flesh of his throat as blood from his aorta and jugular sprayed the walls bright red. Ji Hoon released Minki’s body to fall to the floor, collapsing with a soft, heavy thud. Minhyun’s foster mother let out a soft scream from her spot in the corner as she stared at all the blood before fainting. Minhyun himself had been staring horrified at what Ji Hoon had done when he suddenly saw his foster mother faint from the corner of his eyes.

“Ajumma!” he shouted as he tried to shuffle over to her side, wincing as pain shot through him up from his injured leg.

Ji Hoon, upon hearing Minhyun’s shout, turned to see his foster mother lying unconscious on the floor. As he made his way over to the woman, Daniel suddenly burst through the front door, charging straight into the living room and coming to a horrified stop as he saw the state the room was in. Spotting Ji Hoon kneeling on the floor beside Minhyun’s foster mother, he went to kneel by his side, gripping onto his arm tightly.

“I thought you said you weren’t going to come?” shouted Daniel as he shook him. Ji Hoon pried his hand from his arm, glaring at him disapprovingly.

“Yell at me later, Euigeon. For now, help Minhyun over there.” he turned around to face Minhyun. “Do you have a first aid kit anywhere in the house?”

Minhyun stared at Ji Hoon, the scene he had seen of him killing the other assassin only moments ago still fresh in his mind. “Up… upstairs… in my room on the left…” he answered nervously.

Ji Hoon nodded as he then ran out of the room, his footsteps soft as he dashed up the stairs. Minhyun, still nervous about what he had seen, slowly began crawling over to his foster mother again. Daniel, seeing how his friend was struggling, hurried over to help him.

“You shouldn’t try to move so much, Minhyun,” said Daniel, concerned. He then turned to see the body of Minki lying on the floor, the walls sprayed with an unbelievably large amount of blood. Swallowing nervously, he then turned to glance at Minhyun, who had been watching him closely. As his eyes searched the boy’s, Minhyun gave a slight nod, confirming that Ji Hoon had indeed been the one who did such a thing.

Ji Hoon returned back to the room carrying the first aid box which he had gone to retrieve. Opening it, he passed a small bottle to Daniel. “Let the woman breathe some of this in. That might stir her out of her faint.” Daniel proceeded to do as he was told while Ji Hoon continued to pull several other things out of the box. “You’ve lost quite a bit of blood, Minhyun. The ideal thing would be to get you to a hospital now, but even that will be dangerous for you.” he pulled up the leg on one of his pants and removed a small hidden knife, which he then used to cut the rest of Minhyun’s blood stained jeans away.

Minhyun cringed slightly when he saw Ji Hoon bring the blade close to his skin, but continue to watch in interest nevertheless as he proceeded to clean his wound gently. “You seem to know what you’re doing,” he said after some time, wincing slightly from the sting of antiseptic.

“Of course I know what I am doing. There have been plenty times when I must clean and dress my own wounds, not to mention some of those that Seongwoo tries to hide from Minsoo,” replied Ji Hoon as he finished cleaning and began opening a sterile curved surgical needle with thread. “This wound is rather deep so I’ll have to stitch it up. Euigeon, can you go turn on the light for me?”

Daniel immediately did as he was told once more, placing Minhyun’s foster mother back down onto the floor gently as she began to slightly stir. He then returned to the woman’s side once the lights were on, watching as Ji Hoon prepared to stich Minhyun’s wound.

“Do you have something you can bite on Minhyun? There’s no anesthetic.”

Minhyun nodded as he scrounged around in his bag, removing the cloth he had wrapped around his water bottle. Folding it up so that it was quite thick, he then bit onto it as he leant back, preparing himself mentally for the pain he was about to go through. In his degree he had learnt about surgical methods, and stitching was one of the earlier skills he had learnt. And during that time, he had also been taught that stitching a patient up with no anesthetic was one of the most hardest things to do.

Ji Hoon suddenly plunged the needle into Minhyun’s leg and tears began forming at the corner of his eyes as the pain seared up his leg. He let out a shout muffled by the cloth in his mouth, gripping tightly onto its ends as he tried desperately to relax. Several painful minutes passed by in this fashion until Ji Hoon was finally finished. he cut off the last stich, placing the used needle into the disposal box in the first aid kit before proceeding to clean the area once more with antiseptic. Removing clean bandage from within the kit, he then wrapped Minhyun’s leg as his foster mother finally came to her senses next to Daniel.

“Good that she’s now awake. We have to get everyone out of here now and to somewhere safe. Minsoo would probably realize by now that I’ve escaped and the first place he’ll come looking will be here. Euigeon,” he said as he turned to look at Daniel as he finally finished bandaging Minhyun’s wound. “I want you to take everyone who has ever been involved with me at the orphanage up to our place in the hills.” Ji Hoon stood up, and walked over to help the dazed woman to her feet. “Did you come here by car or your motorbike, Euigeon?”

“My motorbike,” replied Daniel as he went to help Minhyun to his feet.

“Okay… Minhyun, do you have a car or anything here?” asked Ji Hoon as he turned to look at Minhyun.

Nodding, Minhyun replied, “Yeah, my foster father has his van parked in the garage and the keys should be on the table over there.”

Ji Hoon turned around to see where Minhyun was pointing and made his way over to grab the set of keys which lay in the bowl. “Right, then let’s get into the garage.”

Minhyun led the way to the garage, and Ji Hoon helped his foster mother into the back of the van before Daniel helped Minhyun in as well. Once they were both in, Daniel closed the door, only to be handed the keys to the car by Ji Hoon.

“So I’m driving? Alright, hurry up and hop in,” said Daniel as he sped around to the other side of the van. He paused, however, when he saw Ji Hoon walk off. “Jihoonie? YAA , Park Jihoon! Where are you going?”

“There are others I have to get to as well. Go and do what I said,” he commanded as he walked over to Daniel’s motorbike. When he reached it, just as he had guessed, he found that Daniel had indeed left the keys in the bike.

Daniel came to grab him from behind. “I’m not letting you out of my sight, Jihonnie. We’ll go together.”

“No!” snapped Ji Hoon as he yanked his hand out of his grip. “There’s not much time. I need to go and pick up several other people, too.” When he saw how angry and worried Daniel looked, Ji Hoon softened the look on his face as he let out a soft sigh.

“Euigeon, I promise I will return to meet you at our hut . There’s nothing more that I want than to see you and the others safe and sound, and to live with you in peace…”

Daniel suddenly leaned down to cover him with his lips in a loving kiss, pulling him in as he held onto his tightly. Ji Hoon returned the kiss with as much feeling as him before slowly pulling away, somewhat regretfully.

“We have to get going, Daniel. Time is not with us tonight and if we don’t hurry, then there’ll surely be more lives lost,” said Ji Hoon sadly as he went to sit on Daniel’s bike, starting the engine. “I’ll see you at the hut,” he shouted as he tore down the street.

Daniel watched him go for a minute, unable to decipher the mixed emotions he had at seeing him go. Then, remembering the emergency of the situation at hand, he rushed back over to the van and started the engine, Minhyun staring at him in silent curiosity the whole time.

* * *

 

**_tbc._ **


	43. Chapter 43

* * *

 

Ji Hoon pulled up outside of Jin house around half an hour after he had split ways from Daniel and Min Hyun. He slowly stepped off the bike, peering at the front gate suspiciously. His senses were telling him that something about the place wasn’t right and his suspicions were only confirmed when he walked up to the gate and found it open. Removing his gun from the holster on the hip, Ji Hoon warily pushed the door open, peering carefully into the gloom for any sign of the intruders. Praying hard that Jin were somehow safe, he quietly stepped in, holding his gun out before him as he scanned the surroundings.

In the garden, Ji Hoon saw more signs of intrusion as he spied broken branches and a smashed pot near the front door. It was obvious that some sort of a fight had begun outside the house, but the complete absence of bodies indicated that it hadn’t ended there. Ji Hoon continued on into the house, cautiously pushing the front door open as it squealed on its hinges in the silent night. There could only be two outcomes of the fight; either the intruders had won and Jin  are dead, or Jin had both prevailed against the attackers and are now either in hiding within the house or have already escaped. Ji Hoon hoped that it was the second case.

It wasn’t until Ji Hoon entered the kitchen that he came across the bodies of the two men who had obviously broken into the house, lying dead with gunshot wounds to the chest. Kicking their bodies to check whether they were truly dead, Ji Hoon was satisfied when he received no response. Scanning the rest of the kitchen and finding nothing else, Ji Hoon then proceeded on to check the bedrooms, hoping that these  would be the only ones he would find.

As Ji Hoon stepped into the master bedroom, he suddenly turned to his right, levelling his gun at the person who sat huddled in the corner, nervously holding up a gun of his own in a pair of shaking hands. When Ji Hoon recognized who it was, he immediately dropped his hand down to the side as he rushed over.

“Jin … You’re okay,” he whispered in relief as he held his shoulders.

Jin realized that it was Ji Hoon and he immediately dropped his gun as he leapt into Ji Hoon’s arms, hugging him tightly. “Ji Hoon Oppa… H-help us… Th-they t-t-tried to kill us… and… and… I…” He broke off, unable to continue with what he was trying to say.

Ji Hoon cradled his head in his arms as he tried to calm him down. “Shhh… It’s alright,  Jin … It’s alright. You can tell me later what happened. But where is ahjumma ?”

Jin  pulled away from Ji Hoon as he wiped the tears from his eyes, pointing over at the other side of the bed. “I-I hid her over there. She… she got shot by those guys…” Ji Hoon immediately stood up and rushed over to the other side of the bed to check on Seo woo. He found her lying on the floor, barely breathing as she clutched weakly at her wound. Ji Hoon knelt down by her side, staring blankly as she took in the state she was in while slowly reaching out a hand to stroke Seo woo’s sweating forehead.

“Ahjumma…” he whispered, feeling deep regret that he hadn’t made it on time to help Seongwoo’s aunt.

Seo woo stirred from her weak fever, peering blurrily up at Ji Hoon in the darkness. She smiled weakly as she recognized Ji Hoon, relaxing slightly. “Ji Hoon… you came… … Seongwoo?” She suddenly took in a deep, laboured breath, wincing in pain as her wound stretched.

Ji Hoon grabbed one of his hands to help comfort the older woman, looking on in pity. “I don’t know, . I haven’t been able to contact him all day but I was hoping that he would be here...” Ji Hoon moved to try and help Seo woo up. “Can you make it? I’ll help carry you out of here.”

Seo woo shook her head as she tried to push Ji Hoon’s arms out of the way. “It’s… it’s no use, Ji Hoonie… Leave this… old lady… here… Es…escape to… jeju… Boat… ask for……” Her breathing became labored once more and she coughed softly as her grip on Ji Hoon’s hand tightened. Ji Hoon gripped his tightly back.

“Ahjumma… please, stop… Don’t try to say anymore. I’m going to help you out of here. Jin! Come and-” Ji Hoon’s sentence was cut off as Seo woo used the last reserves of her energy to push Ji Hoon away.

“Go! Let me die in peace… knowing that you two have escaped!” she wheezed, her eyes screwing up in pain at the sudden exertion.

Ji Hoon stared back at Seo woo, hesitating. As much as he knew that Seo woo was right, he couldn’t help but feel that he ought to try and help the older woman somehow. With one last look at the woman, Ji Hoon stood, refusing to look back at her as he walked over to Jin .

“Jin , let’s go.” As Jin picked up his gun and stood to follow, Ji Hoon paused at the door. “Ahjumma… I regret that we never got to know each other better. Thank you… for everything.”

Seo woo opened her eyes weakly, a small smile lighting her lips as she listened to Ji Hoon and Jin’s soft footsteps leave the room. She knew she didn’t have much time left in this world. The gun Seongwoo had given her several years ago for protection was now with Jin, and it was because of him that those two attackers were now dead downstairs. Taking one, last labored breath, Seo woo prayed that Seongwoo, Ji Hoon and Jin would all be safe, before she allowed the darkness to take over...

* * *

 

Jinyoung pressed the answer button on his Bluetooth headset, assuming that it would be Daniel checking up on whether he had made it to the mountain yet. He had to admit he had the shock of his life when Daniel briefly told him what was happening, instructing him suddenly to rush over to jeju do Mountain. Even now he was still a little confused about the situation, but nevertheless, the seriousness of Daniel’s tone implied that the situation was bad.

“Hello? I’m almost there right now, Daniel. Just a couple more minutes,” he said into the headset as he turned his car left.

“Er… I take it you’re busy driving, Jinyoung?” asked an ever-too-familiar voice over the other end.

Jinyoung’s eyes widened in surprise a little as he shifted in his seat. “Daehwi…! I haven’t heard from you for a couple of days.”

“Aw… Does that mean you missed me?” teased Daehwi as he chuckled softly. Before Jinyoung could snap back a retort, he said, “I haven’t been very free lately, what with the election date drawing close and Dongho acting a little strange since his boyfriend died. I swear the guy isn’t his normal self anymore.”

“Uh-huh…” said Jinyoung slowly. “Daehwi, do you have anything important to talk to me about right now? ‘Cause I’m in a really big hurry her-”

A car suddenly appeared out a side street to Jinyoung’s right, speeding straight towards him as if aiming to run into him. He pulled a hard left to try and avoid the oncoming car, the front of his own clipping the other as his wheels spun and he drifted into the other car’s side. His head snapped wildly as the cars collided, a spray of glass from the windows showering inwards causing small cuts to appear on his face. The two cars continued to skid along the road for a short distance, stuck together, until they finally came to a standstill next to the footpath.

Jinyoung had his forehead resting against the steering wheel as he tried to recover from the shock of the sudden collision, groaning as he felt his sore neck. Slowly raising his head, he peered around his as he heard Daehwi’s voice still in his ear, his headset still miraculously in place.

“Bae Jinyoung! Jinyoung! What the hell just happened? Where are you?” he shouted repeatedly in his ear.

“I’m fine…” croaked Jinyoung as he noticed the guys in the other car stirring. Quickly, he climbed out the other side of his car as best he could with his injured neck, pausing only to remove his gun from the glove box. Pressing his headset firmly back onto his ear, he then asked, “Daehwi, can you send someone to get me? I’m in the expressway, a couple blocks away from the Japanese School. And quickly…”

He fired several shots at the guys as they suddenly stepped out their car, quickly hiding back behind their car door as the volley hit them. The few spectators who had gathered to see what had happened quickly scattered at the sound of the gun shots, fleeing the scene as Jinyoung tried to find a way to escape without endangering others. Quickly, Jinyoung ran over to the narrow alleyway that ran between two restaurants, pausing every now and then to see whether his pursuers had caught up. When he saw them suddenly appear behind him, he raised his gun to fire several shots at them before continuing on his way, dodging the few bullets they shot as he emerged out the other end of the alleyway.

A motorbike suddenly pulled short before Jinyoung and he hesitated slightly, wondering if it was someone Daehwi had sent. But he soon realized that the man wasn’t there to help him as he raised his gun and Jinyoung quickly turned to run, but not quick enough to avoid a bullet lodging itself in his left arm. Raising the gun which was still firmly in his right hand, he sent several shots at his latest pursuer, hitting him squarely in the chest. The man fell down behind him as the other two men who were originally pursuing him emerged from the alleyway, just in time to send a couple of shots at Jinyoung as he turned the corner down another alleyway.

The two men swore in frustration as he slipped out of their sight again, but their frustration was short lived. As they arrived at the entrance to the alleyway, a menacing smile spread across their faces as they found that this alleyway was a dead end. Slowly, they walked down the alley, their eyes scrutinizing the piles of rubbish and dumpsters for any sign of Jinyoung. Jinyoung, who was beginning to grow faint with the loss of blood, leant his head back against the wall behind the farthest dumpster as he clutched his bleeding arm. He could hear their steps echo in the silent alley as he tried to keep his breath as quiet as possible, their steps counting down the seconds to his doom. He raised his gun to glance at it, counting the number of shots he had fired so far in his head. If he had counted correctly, then that would mean he had at least one shot left – just enough to take out one of the bastards with him.

As the two men approached him, the first suddenly appeared before him only to be sent to the ground in shock as Jinyoung pulled the trigger on his gun aimed straight at his heart. However, the second man also fell at the exact same moment, as a result of a gunshot wound to the back. Puzzled, Jinyoung stared at the two bodies in confusion, his eyes only widening in surprise when he saw several men in black suits step out before him, guns still aimed at the bodies on the ground. They then turned to look at Jinyoung after they confirmed that the men were dead and it was then that Daehwi suddenly dashed into the scene before him, rushing to kneel before him as he reached out a tentative hand towards his wound.

“You’re hurt… Lucky… at the Markets… going on…?” Half of what Daehwi was saying to him was lost as fatigue finally took over and him world began to spin out of control.

With a small, weak smile back up at Daehwi, Jinyoung said before he fainted, “Right on time.”

* * *

 

Daniel stood waiting at the edge of the clearing as he peered into the gloomy forest depths, keeping an eye out for any sign of Ji Hoon. Only a few minutes ago they had received a call from Daehwi explaining to them what had happened to Jinyoung, demanding that Daniel explain to him what was going on. Daniel briefly explained to him what was happening and instructed that Daehwi should tighten the security around him and Jinyoung – it was possible that Minsoo could be mad enough to try and attack Jinyoung again but he highly doubted it.

Daniel turned his head away from the forest in frustration as he saw no sign of Ji Hoon, kicking up the loose dirt in the ground to relieve his stress a little. The others – which consisted of Min Hyun, Jaehwan, Woojin & Sungwoon , Jaehwan’s parents, Min Hyun’s foster mother and both woojin & sungwoon’s foster parents - all watched in confusion as Daniel paced up and down impatiently. They all had a vague idea why Daniel had come to whisk them away from their homes, but what they lacked were the details. After some time, Woojin decided he’d had enough of seeing Daniel walk up and down for what seemed like the twelfth-hundredth time.

“Stop it, Daniel Hyung. Your pacing around like this is not only giving us headaches, but it’s also making us all nervous,” said Woojin as he grabbed Daniel’s arm to stop him. “Try to calm down. I’m sure he’ll make here in one piece if what Min Hyun’s explained to us is true.”

Daniel allowed Woojin to hold onto his arm as he continued to peer into the forest. “I know he’ll be back but I still can’t help worrying. If I lose him again, I truly have no idea how I would be able to continue living.”

Woojin stared back at Daniel silently, slowly releasing his arm. Like the others, he had always known how deep Daniel’s feeling were for Jihoonie, having seen how long it had taken him to recover from the blow of his ‘death’. But his words just then had struck a chord somewhere within him and he found himself praying along with Daniel that Ji Hoon would return back safely, for Daniel’s sake if no one else’s.

The heavy crunch of leaves as someone stepped on the forest floor sounded from the edge of the clearing, all heads turning in the direction of the sound. Daniel immediately rushed over to Ji Hoon’s side as he saw him emerge with a small boy, and he ignored his presence as he pulled Ji Hoon in for a tight hug.

“Jihoonie… I’m not going to let you leave my side again. It was torture waiting for you to return…” he whispered into his ear as he held his small frame tightly against him.

Ji Hoon smiled softly as he returned his hug. “When are you going to trust me? I said I would meet you here and I did,” he whispered back.

Daniel’s arms tightened around him. “How can I trust you when you faked your death and left me to mourn you for 7 long years?”

Enjoying the comfort of Daniel’s strong arms for a few more seconds, Ji Hoon finally pulled away from him. “We don’t have time to go over the past now, Daniel.” he then peered past him and felt a small blush creep across his cheeks as he saw the others staring at them, thankful for the darkness hiding it. Composing himself, he then stepped around Daniel and headed over to the main group, somewhat nervously meeting with Min Hyun and the rest stares.

“Is that… really you, Jihoonie?” asked Sungwoon in an awed voice. Woojin stood next to him with a similar look of surprise on his face. It had been easy to listen to Min Hyun and Daniel talk about Jihoonie still being alive, but seeing him alive in the flesh brought home the truth that he truly wasn’t dead.

Ji Hoon nodded before turning to look at their foster parents, his eyes then glancing over Jaehwan parents before coming to rest on Min Hyun’s foster mother. The woman flinched slightly as Ji Hoon looked at her, averting her eyes in fear. Ji Hoon had expected that reaction from the woman when she woke up, for she had seen her kill a man before her eyes. Finally, her eyes returned to look at Min Hyun and Woojin , Jin  coming to lean against the post of the hut’s front porch away from the others. Daniel came to stand next to Ji Hoon, quietly waiting for him to explain what they were going to do from here onwards.

“Am I correct in assuming that you all know who and what I really am?” Seeing them all nod, he then continued, “Then you will know I was once Minsoo most favored assassin, appolyon.” he saw Jin’s eyes widened in surprise as he turned to stare at him, shocked. He was actually the only one who didn’t know who he truly was and it was because of that reason he had restated his identity so bluntly. “However, Minsoo has found reason to be suspicious of me and a friend of mine in the Syndicate, due to the fact that I have begun associating with people from my past once more. And for that reason, all of you are now in danger, for Minsoo becomes paranoid at any slight hint of betrayal and leak of information regarding his organization.”

Woojin & Seungwoon foster parents suddenly stepped towards Ji Hoon angrily, their fists clenched tightly in a mixture of fury and fear. “Why are we involved? We had nothing to do with your despicable past or life now! Why would he want to kill us when it’s obviously you he wants? Now that you’ve brought us here, he’ll definitely want to kill us!”

Ji Hoon calmly stared back at the two, not taking to heart their harsh comments. As he was about to explain, Min Hyun’s foster mother suddenly spoke up in a small voice. “They don’t care who they kill in the process, even if it’s just to get to our foster children.” Peering at Ji Hoon out the corner of her eye, she then said, “If it wasn’t for him… Min Hyun and I…”

Her voice broke as she turned away and sank back into a remorseful silence. Min Hyun reached out an arm to pull her in for a hug, comforting her.

Kneeling on the ground before everyone, Ji Hoon bowed his head to the ground in apology as Daniel dropped down beside him, trying to pull him back up. “I must apologize to everyone for the hardship I have brought into your lives. If I could, I would have done everything in my power to stop everything from ending up this way but I have failed. However, what I can do for you now is offer you a means of escape.”

At this, everyone’s attention piqued. “Escape? How?” asked Jaehwan dad as the silence steadily grew thick.

Ji Hoon rose back up, still kneeling on his knees. “A friend of mine has organized a means of escape for a situation such as this. I am not sure of the details myself, but apparently we must travel to jeju and ask for a man named Mark. I believe he will have a boat of some sort ready to take us out of the country.”

Again, the others all stared at him in silence thick like a suffocating fog. Yet Ji Hoon’s gaze did not waver under the pressure as he met each of their eyes. Finally, Jaehwan dad then asked, “When do we leave?”

* * *

 

**tbc.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry for not updating it frequently.. writers blocks sucks but promise i'll update as frequently as possible i'm already starting on the next chapter , TILL then...thank you soo much for those who stayed on till now i'm pretty surprised i write till this far ... take care & see you guys on the next chap ;)

**Author's Note:**

> as for the name ''apollyon'' as translated in greeks it means The Angel of Death. i guess the name suits ji hoon, as angel but with dark past ..


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